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Tina, It sounds like raccoons to me. I don't know what will keep them away, other than some good dogs, and some strong pens. I wrap my pens in used barn metal (corrugated sheet metal) and bury it about 4-6 inches and attach it to the pens. Plus, I'm lucky that my german shepherd and australian shepherd mix are good to take out all predators. I hate it that we have to dispose of their bodies though! My dogs deposit bodies of raccoons, beaver, possum, armadillo, gopher and occasional wild cat near the house every week. Gosh, I feel bad about it ... but I haven't lost chickens due to predators in a long time ... other than chicks & eggs to the snakes. The dogs jump back when they come upon snakes ... now why won't they get the snakes too? Hopefully my new pyrenees puppies will be good protectors too. They've been great to hang out at the barn around the chickens most of the day. Can you get your dogs to hang around your chickens at night?
Oh, and my parents live just down the road from me, and they're having trouble with coyotes getting in their garden and hauling off & eating their canteloupe and watermelon! Dad claims he's seen them carrying them off! And he's found the mostly eaten rinds on his property. I tried to get him to put a fence around his garden, but he said "no, if their that hungry to come steal 'em they can have 'em". Dad feels sorry for the coyotes ... and he feeds the squirrels, and the wild birds, etc. Gosh, I hope he doesn't start leaving out dog food for the coyotes! I've heard of neighbors losing their small dogs & cats to them. I believe we have too many around ... I can hear them howling at night.
Tina, It sounds like raccoons to me. I don't know what will keep them away, other than some good dogs, and some strong pens. I wrap my pens in used barn metal (corrugated sheet metal) and bury it about 4-6 inches and attach it to the pens. Plus, I'm lucky that my german shepherd and australian shepherd mix are good to take out all predators. I hate it that we have to dispose of their bodies though! My dogs deposit bodies of raccoons, beaver, possum, armadillo, gopher and occasional wild cat near the house every week. Gosh, I feel bad about it ... but I haven't lost chickens due to predators in a long time ... other than chicks & eggs to the snakes. The dogs jump back when they come upon snakes ... now why won't they get the snakes too? Hopefully my new pyrenees puppies will be good protectors too. They've been great to hang out at the barn around the chickens most of the day. Can you get your dogs to hang around your chickens at night?
Oh, and my parents live just down the road from me, and they're having trouble with coyotes getting in their garden and hauling off & eating their canteloupe and watermelon! Dad claims he's seen them carrying them off! And he's found the mostly eaten rinds on his property. I tried to get him to put a fence around his garden, but he said "no, if their that hungry to come steal 'em they can have 'em". Dad feels sorry for the coyotes ... and he feeds the squirrels, and the wild birds, etc. Gosh, I hope he doesn't start leaving out dog food for the coyotes! I've heard of neighbors losing their small dogs & cats to them. I believe we have too many around ... I can hear them howling at night.