My Pullet Was MURDERED !!

[galanie]

I remember as a kid about the same amount of time ago having a hamster that of course had babies, and watching the babies eat the mother. Needless to say, my kids were not allowed to have hamsters. And to this day, both are over 30, and they still don't know why not

 

[Matthew3590]

Quote:
Babies eat the mother or the mother eat the babies?

 

[FuzzyButtsFarm]

Must have been something wrong with that squirrel. I tried to feed them some bacon flavored crackers and they wouldn't touch them. I was told they don't eat meat.

 

[bock]

Quote:
Babies eat the mother or the mother eat the babies?

I don't think the babies could eat their mother, they are blind and toothless. If the mother is stressed, it is common for her to cannibalize her babies; it's a survival instinct.

To the OP,

. I hope your other birds are safe.

 

[mulewagon]

Squirrels aren't necessarily small - fox squirrels can go up to three pounds (as heavy as many hens). And they're big and have big heads. The first time I saw one, I thought it was a woodchuck or capybara.

Be that as it may, if something is pulling chickens through the wire, better wire is needed. A lot of people use hardware cloth along the bottom of the sides, where it's easiest to grab a chicken, and then chicken wire on the top of the sides and over the top of the run. It depends on what you can afford. Also make sure that nothing can reach them on the roost.

 

[vclark321]

Sorry about the loss. Austrlorps are such beauties! I have squirrels in my yard and my 18 week old hens chase them out of the yard. I have heard stories about coons grabbing through the wire and pulling the heads through and eating it off. Poor little girl. At least she was celebrated as a good meal for your puppies! I have Barred Rocks and a Rhode Island Red. Good luck!

 

[galanie]

Quote:
Babies eat the mother or the mother eat the babies?

Babies eating the mother.

 

[AspiringUrbaniteFarmer]

Before we had the better hardware cloth on the bottom part of the coop, just chicken wire, a hawk decapitated one of mine by sticking his talon right into the hole of the chicken wire. Very scary to see. SO SORRY!

can't use "chicken wire" - poorly named product.

 

[galanie]

Quote:
too true. Chicken wire is to keep chickens IN only. It does little to keep anything OUT.