Predator got one of my Chicks!!

[Alte Vogel]

I have a chain link gate between my sand run and the coop area. This morning as I approached I saw Lucy, one of my 7 week old chicks, in the sand run. I wondered how she got in there. I then realized as I got closer that Laverne was laying on the floor of the coop area. I found part of her wing in the coop. I guess Lucy was so frightened of the predator she somehow got through the chain link gate.

I only had 3 and they were pretty much play mates. Tonight when it came time to roost I almost cried. As the sun started setting the 2 remaining got louder and louder. They seemed in a panic trying to find somewhere to roost other than the coop. They tried to roost on me, a standing fan that is in the coop area, the door of the coop, etc. Every night prior to this they would quietly march up the ladder hop up on the roost and then decide who was going to sleep by who. Tonight they didn't want any part of that roost. I felt like a torturing mother when I place them on the roost. They would jump off and come running out. Finally as it got completely dark they stayed on the roost. I hope they don't wake up in a panic.

My husband and I did some work on the coop to make it even more predator proof. I thought I had near Fort Knox. I am heart broken. I never thought I would be so attached to a chicken.

 

[Hopefulloflove]

I am so very sorry! That is sooo sad! I am not sure what to say, but I wanted to tell you that I am very sorry this happened!

 

[chicken grandma]

I am so sorry! Your chickens have good instincts however. The predator might come back for more. Please take all precautions with your two remaining hens. Chain link is not small enough to keep predators out. Fencing needs to go into the earth. God bless you. Losing a hen hurts. You and your other chickens. If you can have a rooster - they are great protectors of their hens. If not - it is up to us to protect them with fencing/predator proof cages/coops.

 

[real_redhead]

Totally understand where you are coming from. I lost my fisrt girl back in the spring, about the same age of yours. Had a very, very small opening in the roof line that I had told my husband we needed to put some wire over and it was just enough room for something to pull one of my girls out and get her. What was worse was my 9 year old found a few pieces of Copper Top in the morning when he went to let them out! It was heart breaking but it does happen and we learn how to make our coops much better. Sorry for your loss.

 

[jadell]

I'm not sure what your coop config is, but a friend of mine has a small commercial op going. He was losing a hen every night. Finally figured out that he had trapped a couple of racoons INSIDE the coop as he bolstered his defenses. They couldn't get out, but they really didn't mind. Just wanted to make sure you checked that whatever it is isn't trapped inside the coop. Critters can hide in very small spaces.

 

[hayabusa3]

Can you post a picture of where the problem with your coop was?

 

[Chick15]

Tht is so sad. yet in the same way it is really sweet how much the other girls cared for her!!!!

 

[debid]

I have a chain link run with roof and buried apron. It's terrific protection against the larger predators but I have to be sure to close the coop at dusk to keep out any mink and rats that might be nosing around in the night. Snakes are also a risk for chicks at any time of day so I didn't let my chicks use the run unsupervised until they were too large to be eaten by a full-grown rat snake.

The other thing you should check is how wide the gaps are around your gate. If anything measures 4", that's enough for skunks and opossum to get in.