Hi everyone, I haven't been on in a while, but lately Ive had something, I suspect a raccoon, killing and eating my hens, and of course they were some of my favorite girls,
I was leaving the coop open for the girls and my too roos to get out very early in the morning and for about about a week I kept coming up short with my girls, the first night I found two dead girls in the coop, I closed and locked up the pop hole and something got it undone and went in and killed six more of the hens most of them where eaten (the head and breast meat) the rest of the chicken parts were just left scattered around and the surviving chickens were all in shock just standing stock still obvisiously scared out of there minds, some where hiding in the enclosure behind stuff and under the cages not saying anything when I came out there, Normally they come hollering at me. Anyway last spring I had a raccoon kill some of the feral kittens around here so I presume it was a raccoon that killed the chickens. One night I heard a commotion out back and me and my two sons went running out there some of the chickens were in the run and I could hear one of the girls in the next yard over screaming at the top of her lungs we chased the sound but couldn't find her the next morning I found her dead and eaten in the back yard to I assume she got away and came home but was injured and either died or she was re caught and eaten then. I was wondering if anyone knew if that was the work of a raccoon or if I might have another critter that has decided that my chicken coop is there diner, since then I have improved on the lock of the pop hole and so far I haven't lost anymore hens, I went to the feed store, Its illegal to kill wild life here, but the person at the store told me he could give me something to kill them, just kinda afraid to use it. Does anyone have any suggestions on what it could be, I don't believe it is the cats around here because my girls get out alot and peck around the yard with the cats and none of them even bother to look their way, infact most of the cats are afraid of the big girls and run if they get too close. Thanks everyone look forward to hearing what you think my predator could be.
I was leaving the coop open for the girls and my too roos to get out very early in the morning and for about about a week I kept coming up short with my girls, the first night I found two dead girls in the coop, I closed and locked up the pop hole and something got it undone and went in and killed six more of the hens most of them where eaten (the head and breast meat) the rest of the chicken parts were just left scattered around and the surviving chickens were all in shock just standing stock still obvisiously scared out of there minds, some where hiding in the enclosure behind stuff and under the cages not saying anything when I came out there, Normally they come hollering at me. Anyway last spring I had a raccoon kill some of the feral kittens around here so I presume it was a raccoon that killed the chickens. One night I heard a commotion out back and me and my two sons went running out there some of the chickens were in the run and I could hear one of the girls in the next yard over screaming at the top of her lungs we chased the sound but couldn't find her the next morning I found her dead and eaten in the back yard to I assume she got away and came home but was injured and either died or she was re caught and eaten then. I was wondering if anyone knew if that was the work of a raccoon or if I might have another critter that has decided that my chicken coop is there diner, since then I have improved on the lock of the pop hole and so far I haven't lost anymore hens, I went to the feed store, Its illegal to kill wild life here, but the person at the store told me he could give me something to kill them, just kinda afraid to use it. Does anyone have any suggestions on what it could be, I don't believe it is the cats around here because my girls get out alot and peck around the yard with the cats and none of them even bother to look their way, infact most of the cats are afraid of the big girls and run if they get too close. Thanks everyone look forward to hearing what you think my predator could be.
