Please help me -- What am I doing wrong???

[happybooker1]

I don't understand it. Someone does NOT want me to have chickens. Higher power, Druids in the forest, someone, something. My set up is a solid wood coop, full size door with hardware cloth over the window area & no other windows. Roosts of varying heights, solid wood floor not on the ground, pop door using automatic pop door closing at 6PM (chicks being in by 5:30 at the latest) & oopening at 7am. Approximate size 6'x10' including built-in nestboxes. Opening out to a large completely enclosed run area approx. 14'x 25'. Pallets on bottom 3.5' wrapped in chicken wire (both sides), chicken wire extending up to top from pallets, bird netting covering top. Locking gate to run area.

Last April I ordered 25 chicks from My Pet Chicken I believe. All 25 made it. I bought 4 more Lavendar Ameraucanas from a local breeder. I got 5 more pullets and a rooster from a local breeder. I think there was another 4-5 I got also but I really can't remember. Too shook up right now.

To date, I still have 2 hens left from that April-July buying spree. I DID learn that if I didn't RELIGIOUSLY shut the coop up by 6-6:30 PM I would loose chickens. So that's what I started doing.

On Nov. 10 I got another chicken order from Ideal (drove to get them). 28 babies. Plus my 2 hens. I also got an electronic pop door opener and added that to the coop. I reinforced every hole I could find.

I have lost 4 of those babies after I put them out from the brooder coop to the big coop at 6 weeks, all while free-ranging. All to our dogs. None from the coop or attached yard. Until I made a RELIGIOUS effort to not have the dogs & chickens out at the same time. That was until last night.

Chickens get to range in the yard while dogs are in the house. Yesterday I let the chickens out around 3pm. (opened the yard door). Got home after dark in a pouring down rainstorm and went out to shut the gate. Assumed all chickens were inside coop as pop door was shut. It poured down rain most of the night.

This AM got up to carnage. Door was still shut to chicken yard. No chickens in their yard. Pop door open. 7 chicks dead in coop where they sleep. Minimal blood and no parts missing/chewed. 2 older hens up on top roost and fine.

Found 5 chickens in various parts of my yard & garden. I think these were killed by our dogs, which were let out this morning ASSMING all chicks were still shut up in thier yard. 2 were still alive and might make it.

About 5 chickens came to me from woods beside coop.

Did pop door fail to shut? Did all chickens nott make it into coop because of storm? What killed all the chicks IN the coop? Dogs were inside all night because of storm. Have NEVER (since I first started in April) lost chicks in coop. Do chicks get disoriented in heavy rain? Storm started about 6:00, so they SHOULD have all been in the coop. What happened to all my babies??

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Condolences but from reading your post it sounds like your month old chicks became chilled because of the storm and died from hypothermia. No mention was made about the condition of the mortal remains of your flock so I am not able to hazard a guess on the other deaths.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

I’m so sorry for your losses

 

[Mr Pink]

Not to sound unsympathetic but you know what the problem is ... I see one of two solutions .

Predator ( Dog ) proof run or get rid of the dogs

 

[Folly's place]

This has been a very tough 'learning curve' for you; really tough on those chickens!!!
My dogs love chicken too, and I've built a Ft. Knox fenced back yard for the dogs, and a very safe coop and run for the chickens.
My dogs don't mix with the birds!
Your coop needs help too, as you've discovered. No openings larger than 1/2" diameter (no chicken wire!) and generally good security.
Or, rehome the chickens who are still alive.
Mary

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'm sorry for your losses but your dogs are the main culprit in most of these cases. If you can't figure out a way to manage both dogs and chickens there will continue to be dead chickens. Either one or the other (or both) need well secured runs. If my chickens are out, the dogs are inside the house, period. If my dogs are out, the chickens are inside their run with all gates securely shut.

For the other cases, if you think it's not the dogs and are not seeing tracks, you need a game cam or something similar to see if you can figure out what it is, because it certainly is possible that something else is getting in.

You mentioned your run is chicken wire. Chicken wire is NOT predator proof against anything. Larger predators can tear right through it, or tear parts of chickens out through the openings. Smaller predators can just squeeze in. You've also mentioned having to fix holes to the coop or run, which means there's the possibility that something has been getting in. Something like a weasel can easily fit through even a tiny opening.

I never assume my chickens are inside the coop. I open the door to the roost area at dusk to do a head count and then check the perimeter again at night to make sure there's no signs of entry or disturbance.

 

[IslaBean]

I live in an area with plenty of predators, so I make sure to let my girls out in day light and put them away before night time. I’ve lost several ducks his way. I always make sure to but my girls away early if I know, or think I’ll be home late. The key issue is just make sure they are away before dusk. Also, make sure your coop is fully enclosed. This means that there is no way anyone can enter by digging under. Raccoons are very smart animals and can find their way into a coop if you aren’t careful. Regarding your chickens that were killed, but not eaten, many predators will kill without eating. Also, make sure that everyone comes in to roost. I have a couple girls that prefer sleeping in the barn. However, I have to carry them to the coop because we have raccoon visitors in the barn. I’m so sorry for your losses. I know how heartbreaking it can be. I hope this helps!

 

[IslaBean]

I would also suggest live trapping. I usually but cat food in the live traps and I’ve caught numerous predators. Please feel free to ask me any questions, I would love to help you in your fight against predators!

 

[bobbi-j]

The 7 in the coop sounds like weasels. They will bite the neck or under the wing and lap up the blood as they bleed out. (I've lost some myself that way) Could be the dogs got the others. Don't beat yourself up over this. Things happen. In the future, you may want to go check the pop door to make sure it's functioning. (Although a weasel can get into the smallest of spaces...) Chalk it up to lessons learned, don't trust the automatic door, and move on.

 

[chickens really]

I also think weasel...They are mass killers..Heavy gauged mesh wire is needed..Your Dogs need training..Any breed can be trained to not touch Birds. I have three trained Dogs that protect my Birds of different breeds..I would never use a pop door opener..I like knowing everyone is in and do a head count every time ..
Sorry that happened.