Predator in our chicken coop

[bcjlemaire]

Hello, when chickens sleep at night, they are pretty out of it, correct? So they wouldn't scream or squak if something was attacking it? One of it chickens was missing this morning and we noticed part of the fencing had a huge hole, so sadly we're thinking she was taken without her knowing what was going on. That's possible, correct ?

 

[CHlCKEN]

I’m sorry for your loss. Secure your run and figure out a way to prevent this from happening again, because that critter will be back.

 

[Blue Legs]

So sorry to hear about your loss. A few of my girls like to sleep outside on a nearby cross bar (or up a tree when they really want to make me work for it). When I go find them after dark, you can literally just pick them up without a struggle, it's like they're hypnotized. They may let out a small squawk, or nothing. I'm not sure about being killed tho, I feel like at least SOME noise would be made.

 

[hayley3]

I saved my hens from a raccoon because they screamed (okay squawked like mad ) and I ran out there in the nick of time to see the raccoon with my favorite hen in his mouth. He dropped her of course.

 

[Folly's place]

So sorry for your loss, and you need to upgrade your coop and run today. Your predator will come back until your flock is all dead!
Posting pictures of your chicken house will help, and if you can't fix it today, get your birds inside in a safer location before dark today, at least.
Mary

 

[ChicNmom]

I think they would make some noise. But they can't see well in the dark so they will just sit there and get killed.

Fix the hole now. Otherwise they will all eventually disappear.

 

[cmom]

So sorry for your loss. Hard to say exactly what the predator was. If you have a game camera, put it up because the predator will be back and then you will know what you're dealing with. I do have night lights in all of my coops. I also have electric wires around my coops and pens. I can look out my window and seeing the lights and I know my fence charger is working. Here most of the predators roam at night but now is the time of year when they are out looking for mates and having their young so they can show up most anytime. Good luck...

 

[cmom]

There are some videos on YouTube of chicken being picked off in their coops one at a time by a weasel. The chickens have no idea it's there until it grabs one but the others remain calm in the dark. I'm sure it's the same with other predators. A little over a week ago I think an owl got into one of my coops. I do have netting over the pens but there was a gap over the pen gate so I think it got in there, which I have since fixed. There was no other place anything had breached or could have breached. My rooster was all bloody and there was blood in the coop. A couple of hens had blood on them but everyone was ok. The male was a bit freaked out for a couple of days but is fine now. Maybe it was a good thing I had a light on in the coop. I can't verify that is was an owl but I have had issues with owls in the past. This one killed some birds. I repaired the netting and it tried again but this time got caught in the netting. We were able to get it into a cage and a wildlife rescue came and got it. Good luck...