Our first loss...any advice appreciated

[sezjasper]

Sorry to hear it Sezjasper.
I lost my first chicken tonight too. Upsetting indeed. It was an hour before dusk, and when I was closing up the coop I found 2 hens in the coop, 1 hiding in the bamboo "wall" at the back of our property, and the other in the far corner at the base of the bamboo wall, kind of pulled to the corner. It looked like something had a bit of a snack, but by no means ate the whole bird. Lot's of feathers (sad) and 3 terrified girls.
We're in a residential area too, but lots of racoons, cats, rats, birds, etc in the neighbourhood. Our neighbours free range their chickens all day, but we're going to have to figure something else out as this can't happen again. Maybe a tractor coop for the summer?
Can anyone give any insite into what might of done this? I am beginning to think cat. Oh and the chickens are a week or so from their POL date, so big but not full grown.
Thanks for the help!

So sorry for your loss, Stannard...I hope all the posts here will help you, too. So sad to have one of your hens taken from you before you even get to celebrate her first egg. I hope you can figure out what happened.

 

[hrhta812]

I've looked at several info pieces on "chicken crime scene" analysis, and yours doesn't seem to fit any of them exactly. Supposedly, weasels will kill several birds, not just one. An aerial predator is the closest fit, but none of the things I've found address cats either, so I wouldn't rule that out.

I would get a trap and see what you catch. Bait it with a very small amount of canned cat food. I got a set of two traps at Tractor Supply, one is possum/coon size, and the other would catch a weasel. We've caught as many as 3 possums, on 3 consecutive nights.

A simple A-frame chicken tractor might be your best bet for daytime use, while you're not at home. It's always upsetting to lose one - I understand completely.

 

[sezjasper]

Originally Posted by chickengeorgeto

Regardless of what you hear on the Disney Channel hawks are poor hunters, well at least hawks are poor killers of something the size of most hens. Unless the hawk or maybe the victim lucks out, most hawk kills are the result of the victim being ate to death. The reason for feathers over a large area is that first the hawk captures the hen but only about 5% to 10% of the time does he make a clean or quick kill. So then your hen struggles and tries to escape the hawk's clutches but the hawk rides her around the yard while probing her innards with his talons in a vain attempt to make her stay still. All the time he is ripping feathers and down off her body so violently that it sounds like cloth ripping. Then as the now half naked hen struggles the hawk busies himself by pulling thin strips of living flesh off her body and swallowing them. This goes on until shock finally ends her suffering.

Please keep your chickens where hawks can't eat them.

Well, Thanks for that graphic description. I sure that was a BIG help to the O.P. Been reading StephenKing lately?

Awww...Jack, thanks, I agree the post was upsetting but the whole incident was upsetting...and this post did help me because it makes me tend to rule out hawks...the description sounds nothing like what happened to my Raven (thank God for that...) So I'd like to thank chickengeorgeto for posting. We all can agree that our number one priority is keeping our chickens safe.

Thank you again to everyone who has taken the time to help me out. This is truly a special community.

 

[sezjasper]

I've looked at several info pieces on "chicken crime scene" analysis, and yours doesn't seem to fit any of them exactly. Supposedly, weasels will kill several birds, not just one. An aerial predator is the closest fit, but none of the things I've found address cats either, so I wouldn't rule that out.

I would get a trap and see what you catch. Bait it with a very small amount of canned cat food. I got a set of two traps at Tractor Supply, one is possum/coon size, and the other would catch a weasel. We've caught as many as 3 possums, on 3 consecutive nights.

A simple A-frame chicken tractor might be your best bet for daytime use, while you're not at home. It's always upsetting to lose one - I understand completely.

Incredibly, I do have a trap in the shed. I'm going to try to get my son to help me this weekend, he knows how the trap works and can set it for me. I don't know that it would fit a possum or a raccoon (the only thing I've ever used it for is a squirrel in my attic) but if I remember right, it was rather big for a squirrel. Would a weasel fit in something like that?

 

[hrhta812]

I'd say squirrel size would fit weasel just right. Get 'em! LOL

 

[Chicks Galore3]

I haven't had anything happen to one of my birds, thank goodness! There as been a significant increase in hawks/bald eagles around here though! Fortunately, a family of crows moved in- They don't eat chickens and they scare hawks away! My chickens have 6.5 acres to roam, but they like the woods/under the deck, which I like because it is harder for a hawk to swoop in. So sorry for your loss!

(Oh, and, would anybody know a good brand of trap? I have a hav-a-hart trap... it doesn't set!!!! I think it is broken, and all it caught was a stray cat.)

 

[BillHoo]

Don't think that a 6 foot high fence is enough to keep out a fox.

They jump pretty high and like to use fencetops and hedges and treetops as their birds eye view as tthey stroll the neighborhood!

As you can see in the videos below:

 

[aart]

Even if you catch what killed this bird, there are other predators out there.
Free ranging has almost a 100% chance of losses, so you have to either accept the losses or keep them confined to the extent that keeps them safe.
Might sound cruel, but it's true.

 

[sezjasper]

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.

 

[Chicks Galore3]

It really is your choice. If I were you, I'd keep them in for a little while, because, if it is a hawk/cat/weasel (anything other then a chicken.) They will come back looking for more. I think (I don't speak from experience, nothing has happened to me yet) I think I would want them out- they wouldn't be very happy at all if they were cooped up. You could also sit out with while they free range. (This could be hard if you work.) Keep the cooped up, or take the chances