My whole flock was killed last night, please help me

[Cassandra]

Good grief! That is so awful for you. I have been following this thread with interest since it happened. I know how devastated you are, having lost some myself. I go check on my chickens easy morning and breathe a sigh of relief when they are all still there. I built them the most secure housing that my resources will allow, just as I know you did. But as another thread said--it is not feasible for most people to build an absolutely predator proof chicken house.

My thoughts are with you and I have my fingers crossed that you will catch the criminal.

Cassandra

 

[rooster0209]

So sorry for your loss.

This might help determine what critter you are dealig with.

http://www.guineafowl.com/fritsfarm/guineas/poultrypredators.pdf

 

[BikerBabeRules]

Thanks so much for that link. It's definetly a weasel or mink, I can't smell mink, and am going with my gut from the beginning, weasel. It came back today, an hour after I had been in the barn and returned, between 1-2. Broad daylight. Killed my ducklings, I only found one small one, with small puncture wounds on both sides of her head. The fangs are 1/2" apart on both sides, right by her ears. She was piled under the riding mower again, right where the others were piled. I just can't catch it, and it proves it's NOT afraid of human scent as just an hour before I was in playing with the ducklings. My scent had to be all over there and it came anyways.
Thanks again for your insight, it's greatly helped.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Sounds like you need to have a gun-fight similar to another member's weasel experience. She sat in the coop and waited for it.

I've read that weasels don't go for the havaheart traps. You could try a leg trap and try putting it under the lawn-mower(seems how it likes it there).

-Kim

 

[shaky]

I checked Vermont mammals:
You've got bobcats, red and gray foxes, weasels, ermines, minks, fishers, skunks, 'coons, river otters, coyotes, wolves, hawks, owls, eagles, and probably coons.
It seems a mustelid is your most likely candidate, being weasel, ermine, mink, fisher, skunk or otter.
Its hard to believe that a little weasel would carry all those chickens off at once, though.
This is a mystery probably easily solved by calling a pest removal service for advice or even the wildlife and fisheries department.
You'll probably need live bait to catch a weasel in a live trap, which means your poultry will be sacrificial.
Sorry about your situation. Wish I could help.

 

[JordanFamily]

SOOO SORRY... I can send you some fertile eggs next spring when my chicks are having babies of their own, to help replenish your flock... and I will even pay for shipping... Just pm me if you like. I'll have bantam Polish smooth and frizzled.... :aww

 

[Cetawin]

I am so sorry you are going through this. Sounds like it is time to hang a hammock in the barn, stretch out locked and cocked and take it out!

I will keep positive thoughts going your way.

 

[meholtspan]

Yes--most likely a weasel. They are very very sly and hard to trap. Although it seems strange, a live trap often works well--long and narrow. Disguise it completely around the sides and back with straw etc. Even bury it partly if you can. I put mine right at the hole where the weasel got in and baited it with one of the dead chickens. It took 3 nights but I caught him. His head was the size of my thumb. (If you've seen a ferrt in a pet store, that's what the weasel looks like.) Then I gassed him using a sack and my tailpipe. I'm afraid even a weasel I couldn't hurt more than necessary. Unfortunately, like the chickens with worms, the weasel's only doing what comes naturally.
Good luck. I'm so sorry for your dreadful experience.
mh

 

[Nbird]

Sorry for your loss - it is so sad! We had our whole flock killed about a year ago, much the same as you. We were baffled, also, as to what animal had done the terrible deed. I pulled over at every dang farm I passed in our rural area and spoke with 15-20 much older farm folks. The unanimous verdict was coyotes. In the early spring, you may even get a pair, teaching their pups where the "chicken buffets" can be found! You would also be surprised how stealthy and fast they can be and how small of a crack they can get into, to get in an outbuilding. We were devastated by our lost and thought about getting a flock guarding dog, like an Anatolian Shepherd. I had my husband pick up a "hello kitty" rifle for me, so I could sit out and wait to blow the evil fur balls away (I had to put my own stickers on the rifle!

What finally solved our predator problem was a couple of male llamas! Plato and Socrates guard the flock. Even though the flock doesn't always stay in the llama paddock because they are free range, just having the llamas is deterrent enough for foxes and coyotes, even owls! We have not lost one chicken since we have had the llamas (a year!) They are great.

 

[MrsCountryChick]

Quote:
I Totally Agree Catawin, lol

SO Sorry for your Loss.

We had our whole flock nearly killed by a predator or predators. I seemed to be a weasel to us too. From the neck bites & such a tiny dug hole. We ended up catching in our foot trap a possum, but in our large cage trap we found a Very Fat Raccoon but neither seemed to be the neck biting culprit. & from thier size could NOT fit into the tiny hole space dug. This happened over 3 nights that this predator attacked our flock. Needless to say, the Raccoon & Possum we eliminated. & made a smaller pen with FULL enclosure for our remaining 3 hens. Sad how pets can be eliminated so easily as victims.

***Since we're talking about predators, I've learned reading here that "chicken fence" is for only keeping "in" chickens...??? & Is not for protecting from predators? Is this true? If so what fool proof fencing size does anyone use? ***