***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[ashtree]

  <--   Gotta keep those good vibrations happening for you.   Life's too short to work in a job that does't suit you.  

X2 Well said!

 

[MrsDickey]

Heart broken and so very upset. Posted my blue boys picture then went out to the coop. Something got him :'(. This is the second chicken I've lost, the first was a black frizzle Cochin pullet. It doesn't make any sense! Both birds were in the middle of the coop with stretched out necks and all neck and head feathers were pulled out. No bites taken out. No holes into the coop. Nothing. I don't know or understand how or what is getting them. We put out a live trap and caught a ferrel cat the first night. Then nothing for 2 weeks then we caught a hurt coon. And nothing since the coon. Live trap will be rebaited tonight and the trail cam will be set up. Makes it worse they keep getting my favorites. Maybe I should say I hate them all... then maybe they'd get left alone.

 

[bardies]

Heart broken and so very upset. Posted my blue boys picture then went out to the coop. Something got him :'(. This is the second chicken I've lost, the first was a black frizzle Cochin pullet. It doesn't make any sense! Both birds were in the middle of the coop with stretched out necks and all neck and head feathers were pulled out. No bites taken out. No holes into the coop. Nothing. I don't know or understand how or what is getting them. We put out a live trap and caught a ferrel cat the first night. Then nothing for 2 weeks then we caught a hurt coon. And nothing since the coon. Live trap will be rebaited tonight and the trail cam will be set up. Makes it worse they keep getting my favorites. Maybe I should say I hate them all... then maybe they'd get left alone.

So very sorry to hear. Its always the best ones, or the most loved ones. Hugs your way!

We are all sad for you. We all understand too.

 

[ashtree]

Heart broken and so very upset. Posted my blue boys picture then went out to the coop. Something got him :'(. This is the second chicken I've lost, the first was a black frizzle Cochin pullet. It doesn't make any sense! Both birds were in the middle of the coop with stretched out necks and all neck and head feathers were pulled out. No bites taken out. No holes into the coop. Nothing. I don't know or understand how or what is getting them. We put out a live trap and caught a ferrel cat the first night. Then nothing for 2 weeks then we caught a hurt coon. And nothing since the coon. Live trap will be rebaited tonight and the trail cam will be set up. Makes it worse they keep getting my favorites. Maybe I should say I hate them all... then maybe they'd get left alone.

So very sorry

I have no clue what it could be. I was thinking hawk or owl, but I really don't know.

 

[ashtree]

@MrsDickey is there a spot in the coop full of the missing feathers? Maybe something got in and tried to pull the bird out there, but was unsuccessful? Would explain the stretched out neck. Just a guess. I don't have much predator experience.

 

[MrsDickey]

No feathers in one spot. Just a handful scattered around the coop. Nothing can get in through the top. My coop is part of an old shack/barn made of ten only 2 5 ft spaces have the mesh chicken wire which is about to be double layered so nothing can stick its grubby little hands in. Its aggravating as much as it is upsetting. It wouldn't be so bad if there were some kind of explanation like a hole or the birds being pulled through something... but other than stripped stretched out necks I have no idea..

 

[subhanalah]

No feathers in one spot. Just a handful scattered around the coop. Nothing can get in through the top. My coop is part of an old shack/barn made of ten only 2 5 ft spaces have the mesh chicken wire which is about to be double layered so nothing can stick its grubby little hands in. Its aggravating as much as it is upsetting. It wouldn't be so bad if there were some kind of explanation like a hole or the birds being pulled through something... but other than stripped stretched out necks I have no idea..

mink/weasels can get in through a one inch gap. They kill without eating their prey sometimes just for fun.

 

[Kassaundra]

mink/weasels can get in through a one inch gap. They kill without eating their prey sometimes just for fun.

I have also heard they like the blood more then the bird, but that could be a "country myth" like the chupacabra.

 

[artsyrobin]

post some pics of the coop and lets see if we can find some weak spots, best thing though- no gaps whatsoever- hardware cloth, basically ft knox



speaking of losing birds, another guinea keet gone, something i have noticed, the strongest one is twice the size of the the others, maybe they were weak to begin with

 

[Kyzmette]

Quote:
Well, first, welcome to BYC. I live in Skiatook and work in Tulsa, so maybe some day we can hook up, or you can go to the Coweta poultry auction with us. Happy to have you on board, sad to hear about your trouble. My first thought is that this is a dog. I know you said there's no way for anything to get in, but some dogs love to hold chickens down and pull out feathers. It's how they "play" with them. My second guess would be mink/weasel/weasel type, because they'll suck the blood out and leave the carcass, but they don't typically pull out feathers in order to do that. Cats won't pull out feathers. Birds of prey would disembowel and wouldn't typically bother with feathers on the neck and head. Coons and opossums might eat the heads off, so would rats, but none of those care about feathers either. Coyote, fox, large feral cat, those would all be likely to carry the prey out to a more secluded area, or to the den. So when you say coop, is this a totally enclosed space? Four walls, ceiling, floor, no doors or windows? Give us an idea of your setup. Edited to note you did give an idea of your setup. I'm stumped.