Predator problem

[WingItRanch]

I have a trail camera facing the front my chickens coops, but I have so many in different places the camera can’t catch them all. I think it’s going behind the chicken coops if it’s not going in front of the camera. I’m located in west Texas. I do also have hardware cloth around my coops. It’s all on the roof and upper part of the walls mostly for shade when it gets extremely hot. I’m putting another layer of wire over the one I already have too, so the gaps will be a lot smaller but also harder to pull off if it’s trying to get in that way. I’m also trying to dig a trench and pouring concrete around the bottom so it can’t dig underneath like it’s been doing. Do you think that would work?

I think anything around the bottom to prevent digging would be good. Cinder blocks, 1/2 inch hardware cloth, concrete. Concrete would be more permanent and a pain to break up if you ever decided to move your coop or expand it.

 

[Polish and Silkies]

I think anything around the bottom to prevent digging would be good. Cinder blocks, 1/2 inch hardware cloth, concrete. Concrete would be more permanent and a pain to break up if you ever decided to move your coop or expand it.

Well the coops that I have are pretty big, about 8 feet wide and 13 feet long for my adults. They’re built/ cemented into the ground so I couldn’t move them even if I wanted. My medium coops aren’t really movable either since they weight so much, but I have 3 small ones I bought for my babies that takes 2 people to move. I set them down on fencing and nothing has gotten in, I’ve seen digging over the past few days but it was unsuccessful. Putting concrete along the edge hasn’t been a problem when adding more coops right next to it side by side, I don’t have to break it since it’s never in the way, but it does take a lot of effort to dig and pour. I don’t mind since it’s worked well, it’s just some of my coops have different wiring and fencing than others so predators might be able to squeeze in that way.

 

[TOR]

I think raccoon, they dig, climb, chew, use front paws like hands. Raccons will eat feathers and all ( not all animals do). Chewing heads another trait. Been down the road with them, just killed three as they killed about 18 my chickens ( many young). Could be a family pack as they will travel in packs. ( so many birds gone at once.) They will keep coming back.
Advice in comments is very good

 

[McChooky]

I use hardware cloth on our cat walks and catios to keep our cats safe from many of the same predators that eat chickens. Hardware cloth also keeps snakes and mice out of your coops too.You can save almost 50% by buying large rolls

 

[Polish and Silkies]

I have a little update about my situation. My brother enjoys hunting and shooting anything he can, so he volunteered to set up a little tent and do some hunting. I had made a pile of my dead birds as I talked about before behind my coops, but he couldn’t see them from where he was at. He reported that he heard scratching and rummaging around but stopped after a while, and a house cat walked in his view from the opposite direction of the noise about an hour or so later. At almost midnight, a small skunk started walking towards the dead chickens from behind him and he killed it. It was dark so he only noticed a black and white tail from in the tall dead grass which he knew was a skunk, but it’s unusually tiny. I would be suprised if it was the one who had been killing my chickens, let alone FULL grown ones. I would like to know if you guys think this is the culprit or if it was a coincidence that it showed up at this time. For reference, it’s smaller than the average house cat, but a tad bigger than a chihuahua. That’s what’s getting me a little confused as to how it might be the murderer to my flock. It would however be able to fit in the holes I’ve been seeing dug under the fences.

Below is a picture of the small skunk, please let me know what you think

 

[TOR]

I have a little update about my situation. My brother enjoys hunting and shooting anything he can, so he volunteered to set up a little tent and do some hunting. I had made a pile of my dead birds as I talked about before behind my coops, but he couldn’t see them from where he was at. He reported that he heard scratching and rummaging around but stopped after a while, and a house cat walked in his view from the opposite direction of the noise about an hour or so later. At almost midnight, a small skunk started walking towards the dead chickens from behind him and he killed it. It was dark so he only noticed a black and white tail from in the tall dead grass which he knew was a skunk, but it’s unusually tiny. I would be suprised if it was the one who had been killing my chickens, let alone FULL grown ones. I would like to know if you guys think this is the culprit or if it was a coincidence that it showed up at this time. For reference, it’s smaller than the average house cat, but a tad bigger than a chihuahua. That’s what’s getting me a little confused as to how it might be the murderer to my flock. It would however be able to fit in the holes I’ve been seeing dug under the fences.

Below is a picture of the small skunk, please let me know what you think

View attachment 3910478

I dont know your location, so hard to know what predators you have. Putting dead chickens out for bait and been dead in warm weather I imagine they smell some? The smell will draw other animals, predators.

So far it’s been week old chicks, about 20 of them the first night, 9 nearly full size chicks, and 3 fully grown ones. All my tiny babies were gone, no feathers or bodies anywhere.
Could that skunk eat 20 chicks in 1 night? A full size chick does that mean a almost adult chicken? If the adult chicken is gone was prolly carried away, maybe or eaten whole if no sign.
Skunks from what I read are more solitary animals, but does not mean they live alone their whole life.
Big raccoon take a chick and eat it whole in notime and have plenty room for more.Take 3 or 4 raccoon with little chicks they eat like they at a buffet.I dont know what got your birds.
Set up a game camera

 

[McChooky]

If your coops aren't secure you should seriously consider moving them to a secure area. Using the bodies of the dead birds for bait is a big mistake.It will only attract more predators and is a health hazard.

 

[FloridaChook]

If it were me, I'd just sit out there one night with a gun so I can see what it is and take care of it.

 

[Polish and Silkies]

If it were me, I'd just sit out there one night with a gun so I can see what it is and take care of it.

This is what my brother’s been doing for the past few days, he shot a tiny skunk.

 

[WingItRanch]

The skunk was most likely scavenging. My money would be on the cat or another predator.