North Idaho / Eastern Washington

[Leigti]

My coop got hit by something I've got 5 dead chicks, 7 living chicks and 2 missing chicks......


 

Oh man, that sucks! :-( Do you know what got in there? Do you live more in town or more out in the country?

 

[Saris]

Oh man, that sucks! :-( Do you know what got in there? Do you live more in town or more out in the country?

I live in the city. It was a raccoon.

 

[UGLYFOOT]

I know you are getting advice from everyone. It would be a good idea to take care of your young birds before the older. That way you are clean. And try to keep a pair of shoes(new) just for going into the new coop. Good luck, I know it's hard to watch them die. I went thru a disease in my flock last year. But I only had 8 hens - 4 sick and died, and I dispatched the final 4 when they got sick. Very hard to do.
Linda

Thank you for your additional input and support. I do have plans to keep the littles in a "clean room" situation as long as possible. This is going to take a lot of extra time that I may not be able to spare. My job keeps me away from home 14hrs per day 3 to 4 days a week. So i will see how it goes.. Might just give up the breeding thing and do only eating eggs with whoever survives this. I have plenty of intrest in those.

 

[Scram85]

I live in the city. It was a raccoon.

Did it happen in the middle of the night and wake you with the noise? Your post looks like it was early early.

 

[Saris]

Did it happen in the middle of the night and wake you with the noise? Your post looks like it was early early.

My neighbor called me about 1 am. She found some bodies when she was letting her dogs out to potty.

 

[UGLYFOOT]

I know you are getting advice from everyone. It would be a good idea to take care of your young birds before the older. That way you are clean. And try to keep a pair of shoes(new) just for going into the new coop. Good luck, I know it's hard to watch them die. I went thru a disease in my flock last year. But I only had 8 hens - 4 sick and died, and I dispatched the final 4 when they got sick. Very hard to do.
Linda

I am so sorry you had to go thru that..

The dying has stopped for now. I am just waiting for the next round, when the chicks that I had already put in that coop get to the right age to be hit by this.

 

[gimmie birdies]

Ugly foot, I am sorry

I just gave away 5 chicks that were the wrong color.(brown)

The 2 just hatched and they are keepers, I love the blue/ and the light blue colors

 

[Scram85]

My neighbor called me about 1 am. She found some bodies when she was letting her dogs out to potty.

Oh no. That's terrible. Maybe her dogs outside kept it from being worse. Did it get into a locked pen or were they free ranging in the backyard?

 

[Saris]

Oh no. That's terrible. Maybe her dogs outside kept it from being worse. Did it get into a locked pen or were they free ranging in the backyard?

They were in their coop but the run door was open.

 

[Scram85]

They were in their coop but the run door was open.

I'm sorry about that. I know what it is like to lose chickens to predators.