Please help!! 11 dead chickens

[ChocoClover]

coyotes. They have sharp teeth, claws, and LOVE eating chickens.

 

[ChocoClover]

How big were the bites? Did they look like dog bites? If they were, it was probably a coyote. If the bites were cat sized, it could either be a raccoon or a norweigan rat. Most likely the rat, because rats like to chew, and they get to be the size of a small cat or rabbit.

 

[ChocoClover]

A black fox would be a prime candidate. Foxes did volleyball-sized holes, can easily chew through tough fabric, and will kill and eat as many chickens as humanly possible. They also tend to like dragging chickens out of the coop. They are very intelligent, and will stake out a chicken coop for weeks before striking at the weakest point. Since foxes can dig, you should bury chicken wire under the coop. Putting plywood over the opening is a great idea. Remember, foxes are very smart. If there is a possible opening, they WILL find it.

A black fox.

 

[ChocoClover]

Dogs don't generally methodically kill chickens like that.

 

[ChocoClover]

Foxes are often neighborhood pests that don't show up until someone gets chickens.

 

[cypressdrake]

A full grown mink can squeeze in a 1 1/2 inch crack. I don't know all the particulars on the attack, but minks suck blood and don't eat the flesh much. They attack the neck area 99 % of the time.

A opossum or coon will kill and eat, where a mink is territorial and will kill small critters in its territory just for sport. A dog or fox will do large kills also, but they eat or leave with chickens.

My best defense after loosing 25 birds in two nights, have been a loud radio playing 24/7/365, well secured pen, a well lit yard, and walking my dogs to put urine scent around the yard.

Wild animals don't like going around dogs, or loud noises.

The hens have learned to LIVE with the music, and seem to relax and lay more eggs...

 

[jonalisa]

Foxes are often neighborhood pests that don't show up until someone gets chickens.

Very true. We now have 3 families on our street with chickens (just this year) and this is the first time in my 7 years here that I have seen foxes. I see them during the day, in the middle of the street, trotting by without a care in the world - about 6 or 7 sightings now.

 

[houseofknauss]

A full grown mink can squeeze in a 1 1/2 inch crack. I don't know all the particulars on the attack, but minks suck blood and don't eat the flesh much. They attack the neck area 99 % of the time.

A opossum or coon will kill and eat, where a mink is territorial and will kill small critters in its territory just for sport. A dog or fox will do large kills also, but they eat or leave with chickens.

My best defense after loosing 25 birds in two nights, have been a loud radio playing 24/7/365, well secured pen, a well lit yard, and walking my dogs to put urine scent around the yard.

Wild animals don't like going around dogs, or loud noises.

The hens have learned to LIVE with the music, and seem to relax and lay more eggs...

shot on the neck of one of my ducks. she held still long enough for hubby to shoot in the head and missed the duck!!

 

[houseofknauss]

Yeah I wondered if it would do that. I really don't see it working over a whole coop but maaaybe if the roost area was off to one side like in a bigger coop. I've got a leghorn roo and an ancona roo that I am wondering about how their comb and wattles will do this winter. Their's are huge. I am going to get a couple new indoor/outdoor thermometors so I can keep an eye on the temp and humidity in the coops.

coat them with bag balm or vaseline

 

[Nutmeg101]

How are the new hens, and the repaired coop holding up?