My chickens are killing each other. No. They really are.

[azygous]

Well, goshawk then.

You said there was standard size poultry mesh. Was that on a wall exposed to outdoors where a snake could crawl through? If so, a small mink or other weasel could also squeeze through.

Game cam!

 

[aart]

There is hardware cloth covering where all the light shines through. It's unreal. I promise if I find out, I will let y'all know who the killer is. My boss (jokingly) suggested that when all the other chickens are dead, there will be one standing and that's the killer. I'm hoping it won't get to that point. The dead chickens are all found between those roosts. I checked to see if there was a nail hanging out or something they could get caught on and there isn't anything.

Well, goshawk then.

You said there was standard size poultry mesh. Was that on a wall exposed to outdoors where a snake could crawl through? If so, a small mink or other weasel could also squeeze through.

Game cam!

They said hardware cloth....I am assuming that means 1/2"?

 

[polychip]

I'm sorry. The hardware cloth is up high where the light shines through. There is poultry mesh on the doors. It's undisturbed.

I've never seen a weasel in West Texas. The chickens are also dying during the day. Are weasels diurnal? My neighbor says her cat brings rats into the house occasionally. She sent me a pic and it's no larger than a field mouse. Not a chicken killer. Nothing that would take done a grown Cochin hen.

I have a large capacity game cam. I will set it up when I get home and let you know tomorrow what I find. The chickens are all found dead in the same place. It shouldn't be hard to get in the right place.

That somewhat aggressive hen is still isolated. I wonder what I will find when I go home. It's so sad. These ladies are old. They're like old friends. Breaks my heart. What a shame.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Do you have an apron of hardware cloth around the bottom of your coop? Just because you haven't seen a weasel, doesn't mean you don't have them. They're pretty much everywhere. Stoats aren't much different, if you've got those. If they can't climb or squeeze in, they will dig in. Their holes are small, and sometimes the bedding or dirt will fall back into the opening and conceal them (same for rats). From what you've described, I'd guess you have a weasel, mink or stoat. When I lost chickens to them, there wouldn't be much blood. Sometimes I'd have to move lots of feathers around to find a wound, and they'd just look flat like they'd been squished or deflated. I suppose rats could be your problem, if you've got lots of them, but I'd think they'd go after your feed before your chickens. I've lost chicks to them, but never grown birds.

Good luck, I hope you figure it out! And please, do share if you catch it on camera!

 

[polychip]

Okay. No dead chickens this evening! Grumpy hen is still in isolation. BUT! I accidentally locked another hen in with her last night. It was dark. I'm desperate. I only have the use of one arm because I broke my shoulder and the other hen is the color of wood chips. Anyway that hen was fine. Weird.

I digress for a moment because this is kind of making me crazy...I'm dating myself here but do any of you remember that game show that use to be on TV where the contestants would say, "No whammies. No whammies. No whammies?" I'm like that going out to the coop but instead I'm saying,"no dead chickens. No dead chickens. No dead chickens."

So I set up the game camera in the coop, facing the area where the dead chickens have been found. So, I will let you know tomorrow what I find. Thanks for all your suggestions!

 

[polychip]

Do you have an apron of hardware cloth around the bottom of your coop? Just because you haven't seen a weasel, doesn't mean you don't have them. They're pretty much everywhere. Stoats aren't much different, if you've got those. If they can't climb or squeeze in, they will dig in. Their holes are small, and sometimes the bedding or dirt will fall back into the opening and conceal them (same for rats). From what you've described, I'd guess you have a weasel, mink or stoat. When I lost chickens to them, there wouldn't be much blood. Sometimes I'd have to move lots of feathers around to find a wound, and they'd just look flat like they'd been squished or deflated. I suppose rats could be your problem, if you've got lots of them, but I'd think they'd go after your feed before your chickens. I've lost chicks to them, but never grown birds.

Good luck, I hope you figure it out! And please, do share if you catch it on camera!

Yeah. I thought about that. The coop has a concrete footer on all sides. It goes down about 1.5' and sticks up about 12". I have put chicken wire over the door now but you can see from this old picture.

 

[chick fire]

Well there might be to many chickens in the same coop. Thats why they might be killing each other.

 

[JanetS]

I think the game camera is a good idea. Please let us know what you find out.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

According to Google and Wikipedia, you've got
badgers, mink, ferrets and weasels in Tx. The mink, ferrets and weasels could easily squeeze into the smallest of spaces or get around chicken wire and then climb up the roost to get to them. Just sayin', they'd be what I would be looking for if I was in your situation. They're VERY difficult to get rid of.

 

[KentuckyMom]

What a terrible thing to come home to at the end of the day. I hope you figure it out with the game cam and can solve the problem.