- Nov 6, 2011
- 29
- 1
- 94
I have 10 chickens currently. Over the summer I started missing chickens. I have any automatic chicken door and had never had predator issues. Then on night I hear a commotion in the coop. I grab a headlamp and a 45 cal. I run to the exterior of the coop and the cats are outside all sketchy looking at the coop. The chickens are going nuts inside. I have a two room coop, (pretty nice?front room will be for hatching/ raising chicks, the rear is the coop its self.
So I have to go in through the front portion to reach the center door. I open the center door and there is a Racoon with a fresh killed chicken, trying to lift my chicken door back open to escape. I cant get a clean shot at him because hes in front of windows so I HAVE to go inside, which closes me in with this coon. Once inside the little bastard raises both arm high in the air and start walking towards me. I stop this action with one shot and the he starts crawling. so two more shot to stop his pain and then clean up the crime scene.
That said, that was a month ago. Now i am still not getting any eggs, except from one small chicken on rare occasions. I am now in the process of installing a 325 LB PRESSURE linear actuator, timer and reverse switch to build a racoon and every other predator proof door.
I have been building an entire homestead and ranch so its time for chicken coop upgrades prior to re stocking with new chickens or chicks in the spring from a local hatchery.
My chickens are three years old. I lost maybe 6 chickens since spring and know they are traumatized but the had started slowing down egg production even soon.
I wondering how much of this is due to predators and how much may be due to age?
My goal is to buy more chickens and increase my egg production this spring and get a rooster as we have just hens. I want to hatch some of our as we did in Nevada, Prior to moving to 175 acres in Idaho.
How can I tell if my chickens are still capable to laying eggs or if they are done?
So I have to go in through the front portion to reach the center door. I open the center door and there is a Racoon with a fresh killed chicken, trying to lift my chicken door back open to escape. I cant get a clean shot at him because hes in front of windows so I HAVE to go inside, which closes me in with this coon. Once inside the little bastard raises both arm high in the air and start walking towards me. I stop this action with one shot and the he starts crawling. so two more shot to stop his pain and then clean up the crime scene.
That said, that was a month ago. Now i am still not getting any eggs, except from one small chicken on rare occasions. I am now in the process of installing a 325 LB PRESSURE linear actuator, timer and reverse switch to build a racoon and every other predator proof door.
I have been building an entire homestead and ranch so its time for chicken coop upgrades prior to re stocking with new chickens or chicks in the spring from a local hatchery.
My chickens are three years old. I lost maybe 6 chickens since spring and know they are traumatized but the had started slowing down egg production even soon.
I wondering how much of this is due to predators and how much may be due to age?
My goal is to buy more chickens and increase my egg production this spring and get a rooster as we have just hens. I want to hatch some of our as we did in Nevada, Prior to moving to 175 acres in Idaho.
How can I tell if my chickens are still capable to laying eggs or if they are done?
