Predator chewing through wood and stall mats?

[pkarkos]

Hi all,
I have recently lost five birds to some kind of predator that has been chewing through the wood and a half inch, rubber stall mat. We live in New England where we have fisher cats, so my mother and I thought that it must be them, but we have never had trouble like this before. Normally our birds are quite safe in a locked coup at night. Does anyone have any thoughts, suggestions or experience with this?
I have moved my birds into another coup and fortified any openings with sturdy wire fence with very small holes. I did find a place where it looked like there were fresh chew marks so I block the area the best I could for the night.
Is a wooden coup just not enough to protect chickens against predators like this one? Is there a type of coup that can't be chewed through?

Thank you!

 

[Sara Ranch]

Will you post pictures of your coop, inside and outside?

Is there a run attached to the coop? Post pictures?

 

[centrarchid]

Good move to move birds to a different location. I would setup a trap next to where the critter chews on coop. Live trap or dog proof foothold will work. Ask how to bait and deploy. My first guess is a raccoon will be taken. Do not assume only one if raccoon.

Consider using hot-wire to "harden" your coop further.

 

[pkarkos]

Here are some pictures of the hole it made in a wood and what it chewed off of the stall mat. It's quite dark out so we couldn't get any better pictures. There is no run attached to our coup, normally our chickens are free range and lock them at night.
We did set up a trap next to the coup where the chickens were killed. The predator killed five of them over about week, with three yesterday and one today.

 

[centrarchid]

Tack additional boards over area critter is chewing through. Has predator been taking chickens away or eating them on site? Can you make so chickens roost higher where critter cannot climb wall to reach roost?

 

[pkarkos]

The predator has been breaking their necks and leaving them mostly intact in the coup. The chickens that have been killed live in a coup with a roost but they don't like to sleep there. I have another coup where the chickens sleep on a high roost and they have all been fine.

 

[Taylorbrood]

The predator has been breaking their necks and leaving them mostly intact in the coup. The chickens that have been killed live in a coup with a roost but they don't like to sleep there. I have another coup where the chickens sleep on a high roost and they have all been fine.

sorry your flock is being attacked, we have hard cloth under ours, but that doesn't men they can't chew through the resin walls. my next move is to put hard cloth on pvc around my perimeter walls and base of doors, so far i have a flooring system that is difficult, 2x4, hardcloth, rocks, 3/4 plywood, snap flooring, tarp, then mats. and i roost my girls three feet off the ground

 

[centrarchid]

Can you post of what the necks look like? Show the throat and back of head.

 

[21hens-incharge]

What about adding metal to every corner.

I am thinking something like this....

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Construc...t-Galvanized-Steel-L-Flashing-LF44G/202093207

It is a 4x4 angled metal. I am thinking anything smallish would have as hard time chewing a corner with it. Screws will hold it stronger then nails by the way.

 

[pkarkos]

Hello All,
Thank you for your suggestions and I apologize for my inactivity; work suddenly got very busy!
I moved the one remaining hen into the larger of my two coups with the other birds. We have a new batch of seven chicks that are now seven weeks old and very much ready to go outside. I was planning on putting them in the coup that was previously attacked. I have added heavy wire netting with small openings over the chewed spaces. I placed some bait (peanut butter and cheese) in the coup to see if something could still get in and something did with no new chewed holes and no openings that would allow anything larger than a field mouse in. I have since covered the vents (that were covered in rather wide wire mesh) with the same heavy-duty, fine holed wire mesh and screwed wood over the wire over the chewed holes. I thought this would be enough to keep anything out so I added more peanut butter bait and found it gone again in the morning. I am about 95% sure I have covered every opening greater than a quarter inch, but something is still getting in. I did see a very small mole near the coup the other day. Is it possible that this tiny mole is getting in and eating my bait? Could it be insects?
The most important thing here is if you all think it is safe for my batch of seven chicks that are almost two months old to go into this coup?