Our first loss...any advice appreciated

[JiMyra]

It could be a dog. They just kill for fun on in a adrenaline(sp?) high. Look for fang marks.

 

[JackE]

So much information to absorb...I'm torn in two directions. As it happens I'm a believer in quality of life...and assuming I take all precautions within my power, I am inclined to let my girls continue to free range as they do now. I know they are not happy when confined for any length of time. I am going to look into the cost of building a very large run...but I fear it may be beyond my means to provide anything that would make a meaningful difference for them. I'd love to hear any opinions on this.

I don't know how big your yard is, but you could set up an electrified safe area for the chickens to use when you are not home. That's what I did using electrified poultry netting from Premier. My coop is like FortKnox at night, nothing short of a bear can get in to it. But I have fox problems here. The big problem with a fox, is that they won't just take one bird. I got away with freeranging them for a almost a full year. Then I lost seven, and then nine, in two separate daytime attacks. I could not let them out unless somebody was out there with them. So I bought 400' of the netting and surrounded my coop. I can now let them out everyday and don't have to worry about them. They get out to roam the yard IF somebody is out with them. Just the other day I was out watching them pick around the yard and one of the resident foxes come out of the woods and just sat down and started watching them too. I was hoping he would come on over for a visit, as I had something in my back pocket that really wanted to meet him. But he just watched a while then went back into the woods. I have hawks and eagles here also, but the chickens have the coop and a big brushy area behind the coop to hide in. The chickens (Mine at least) get really tuned into flying predators. They hear a hawk screech, they are heading for cover. They have even learned a crow's hawk warning call. Seems the crows make a certain call for hawks, and you can see the chickens react to it here. You can check out Premier's website, and give them a call if you want. You can surround a lot bigger area for less money with the netting, instead of building a wood framed hardware clothed run.
Jack

 

[winniem]

I'm really sorry to hear about the loss of your bird. We also had our first loss just a couple of days ago under very similar circumstances. I went to lock the girls up, and noticed one missing. A quick walk around the yard, and there she was, lying in a pile of her feathers with her neck gone. It was getting dark, so I left her there and when I went to "clean up" in the morning a hawk was at the site.

It was such a shock, as we have had them almost a year with no issues - and devastating because we are so fond of each of them. I never expected to care for a little bird as much as I have grown to. Now am in the same boat...considering whether the quality of life they have enjoying the free ranging lifestyle outweighs the risks of predators.

Because of the similarities, I would say it was a hawk. I found a couple of interesting threads here that described this type of attack as a hawk.

 

[hensandchickscolorado]

I just lost three chicks today to a fox. No blood. He killed them all and then I think his plan was to eat them...I found them all in corners of the yard because I assume they were running to hide. I have 6' high wooden fencing all around and live in a residential area.

I know it was a fox because I caught him coming back for the birds. Maybe he will be coming back looking for yours??

I'm sorry to hear about what happened--it's very sad .

 

[pbjls]

sezjasper

i have to say it sounds most like a dog. they will grab at the neck and break it. when the chicken dies they loose intrest and drop it without eating anything. the lack of blood around the neck was because the other chickens worked it over after the predator left. mysecond guess would a stoat or weasle. they are in BC and kill by bitting the back of the neck. they also steal eggs and will kill and hoard chicks. I lost a whole batch of day old chicks in one night to a mated pair of stoats. I found the dead chicks in a burrow and killed one of the pair. one of our barn cats got the other for me a couple days later.

 

[Misstwixler]

Recently our dog (queensland heeler) broke into our chicken coop and he went after our little Sebright bantam, Luckily she was okay. I made my husband strengthen the coop but a few days later I was standing in our dining room and my mother in law said "Duke's out there chasing a chicken" (Duke is our German Shepherd). I just knew something was wrong....I ran to the chicken coop and I saw the little sebright bantam not moving and the dog was pawing at it. My heart sank. She was our absolute favorite. I can't even put into words how sad I am at our loss of her. I rushed her to the vet and they told me that they had seen chickens suffer worse injuries than hers that survived so I paid my money and they said she was almost ready to go home......and then they called me back and said she probably wasn't going to make it. They called me the next morning and said she didn't make it through the night. I was devastated and my 3 year old took it really hard. I still have a hard time looking at the dog....





At the hospital.

 

[pbjls]

Recently our dog (queensland heeler) broke into our chicken coop and he went after our little Sebright bantam, Luckily she was okay. I made my husband strengthen the coop but a few days later I was standing in our dining room and my mother in law said "Duke's out there chasing a chicken" (Duke is our German Shepherd). I just knew something was wrong....I ran to the chicken coop and I saw the little sebright bantam not moving and the dog was pawing at it. My heart sank. She was our absolute favorite. I can't even put into words how sad I am at our loss of her. I rushed her to the vet and they told me that they had seen chickens suffer worse injuries than hers that survived so I paid my money and they said she was almost ready to go home......and then they called me back and said she probably wasn't going to make it. They called me the next morning and said she didn't make it through the night. I was devastated and my 3 year old took it really hard. I still have a hard time looking at the dog....





At the hospital.



she was a beautiful bird. very sorry for the loss. I had a dog get into a coop with about 50 young pullets and lost more than half in five minutes. I rehomed the dog because we just can't afford that on our farm, but don't be to hard on the dog. It is in their nature.

 

[sezjasper]

sezjasper

i have to say it sounds most like a dog. they will grab at the neck and break it. when the chicken dies they loose intrest and drop it without eating anything. the lack of blood around the neck was because the other chickens worked it over after the predator left. mysecond guess would a stoat or weasle. they are in BC and kill by bitting the back of the neck. they also steal eggs and will kill and hoard chicks. I lost a whole batch of day old chicks in one night to a mated pair of stoats. I found the dead chicks in a burrow and killed one of the pair. one of our barn cats got the other for me a couple days later.

It could be a dog. They just kill for fun on in a adrenaline(sp?) high. Look for fang marks.

Several people have said they think it could have been a dog...also, our neighbor has a very large dog (labrador retriever, he's huge). I'm not so sure. First of all, the neighbor's dog is not only huge, he's also very broad and heavy. I think he would be better able to knock the fence down than to jump it. I've never seen an unleashed dog roaming this neighborhood; people walk their dogs or keep them in fenced yards. I didn't examine Raven's wounds too closely...couldn't bring myself to do it...but the rest of her body was untouched, and so were her head and face. I'm thinking a smaller predator who ate its fill and left, not big enough to try to take her body with it. Raven was a big, heavy girl. Pbjls, I'm so sorry about your chicks...glad you (and your cat) could take care of the predators!

 

[sezjasper]

I just lost three chicks today to a fox. No blood. He killed them all and then I think his plan was to eat them...I found them all in corners of the yard because I assume they were running to hide. I have 6' high wooden fencing all around and live in a residential area.

I know it was a fox because I caught him coming back for the birds. Maybe he will be coming back looking for yours??

I'm sorry to hear about what happened--it's very sad .

So sorry for your loss! You're right, it is heartbreaking... How do you think the fox got into your yard?