My whole flock was killed last night, please help me

[banter]

I would say maybe a Fisher Cat or Weasle

 

[Run-A-Muck Ranch]

I know lots have listed possible animals that could of done this.. and honestly I couldn't give you an honest answer on to what I would think it could be.

But just 2 week a friend of ours had something similar to happen.

They had about 100 broiler chickens. They were in there area and one night something got in the pen and got about 25 of their birds. The next night they lost about a dozen or so. Through the course of 3 days they lost almost all there chickens. They were left with 10. They thought everything was closed up tight. Had no idea where this think was getting in or out. They found a few feathers and looked further and there was all the dead chickens under the floor of the coop. It was a mink. The mink had all the birds under there. They were packed so tight they had a hard time getting them out. They took and fix the tunnel and got rid of the mink. but still haven't gotten anymore birds.

I dont' have any real expierence in the matter, just wanted to share what a friend of ours went through.
Shawna

 

[red-hen]

To figure out what the predator is / was ...

Go here:
http://www.sheepscreek.com/rural/pred.html

First, near the top of the web page ... read this section labeled:
"I found a dead sheep [calf, goat]; how do I identify the killer?"
The author wrote up in detail exactly what the calling card of each type of predator is.


Then scroll wayyyy down to almost the bottom of the page to the part labeled:
"What killed my chickens and what can I do about it?"

It is an excellent web site. The info is copyright so I can't copy and paste it here, sorry.

(PS: I didn't read all 9 pages of this topic, so if the answer has been sorted out, I apologize)

 

[Gindee77]

Wow Red-hen, that's a great website and I know I'm going to save it!! I didn't read it all, but it looks to have a lot of answers about predators that kill chickens. Thanks for posting it!!

BikerBabeRules, I hope you will let us know if you catch the culprit! I'm interested to know what it is that decimated your flock.

 

[tx_dane_mom]

SO did you catch anything?

 

[McGoo]

So very sorry about your loss. I heard about a chicken farmer in Southern VT that lost virtually their entire broiler flock - and it was weasels. They can get into the coop/barn through small little holes.

A guard dog would be helpful.

 

[red-hen]

Gindee - glad you found it helpful, too. I printed the whole thing and bookmarked it. It really opened my eyes about predator problems.

Fingers crossed for you, BikerBabeRules.

 

[BikerBabeRules]

thanks for all of your concern, you guys are great! still have caught nothing in the traps. The new pair of ducks someone gave us yesterday went directly behind the barn, thru the snow and we found them today swimming happily in the pond. Which means, they were sitting ducks outside last night as they wouldn't come in the barn. Whatever it was still has a full belly. I'm trying to get the ducks in the barn and continue to hunker it down. There is just no nooks and cranny's so it seems. I will post as soon as I've caught something.
thank you all so much again,
Kathy

 

[ginbart]

I am so sorry to hear what happened to you. I just put 40 eggs in my bator on Sunday. When they hatch I would be glad to send you some. I have RIR's and RIW's. I don't know how many I will get, this is my second time. But I could give you half of what I hatch. Please let me know. God Bless you, and I'm sure there are a lot of people thinking of you and praying for your heart to stop breaking. I hope you kill it dead. Ginbart

 

[tx_dane_mom]

Wanted to touch base w/you on your situation and see how it's going?