Question about hen weaning/leaving her chicks

[Eckielady]

I'm so sorry!!!

 

[21hens-incharge]

Total downer I am sure.
Don't give up on looking.

I have had hawks swoop at a hen that was standing right beside me.
I am thinking your culprit is likely a fox though. I have seen them leap a 6 foot fence and never even slow down. Don't let your guard down. They come back.

Mine are not allowed out unless I can be out there 100% of the time they are out.

 

[centrarchid]

Get chicks roosting up. They would have followed mother when she moved up is other hens did not repel them. You predator is likely to be a fox or coyote. Former will be very consistent in terms of time it visits. I would pen entire lot of chickens until fox stops visiting. Consider electrified poultry netting as an internal perimeter to protect birds.

 

[rojochicks]

Thanks for the support everyone. This morning about 6 I went out to check on everyone. The mother hen that went to bed injured was dead in the coop. I was by myself yesterday and tried to examine her and get ointment on her injuries, but this morning my husband looked her over better and we found a wound that I had not seen yesterday.

Neither baby that was lost last night was back this morning. So we lost a total of 5 baby chicks and one grown hen. Sad chicken day for us. They are locked up in their secure run, will add some things for them to do later and figure out securing the outer run better so they have the option for more space. We will look into the electrified poultry fencing. I think I found an area where the babies may have accidentally gotten out and then maybe gotten by whatever. Of course out of the 2 babies remaining I'm 99% sure one of them is a rooster, bummer, we just want laying hens, I'm scared of having a rooster around small human children (almost 4 years old and 15 months).

I suggested hardware cloth to the outer less secure run (has deer netting now, more to hold them in because we haven't had a predator problem since getting them a little over 2 years ago), but my husband doesn't want the high cost involved. The sudden large loss is tough for me to swallow, but I guess it's part of it.

Side note, we have a sand box that we filled with corn for the kids to play in instead of sand, and the last 2 days the lid was taken off, so I'm wondering if whatever is getting in that is what decimated my flock or if it's something else. We've had that out there almost a year and nothing has bothered it until 2 days ago.

 

[azygous]

Your experience with a predator is sadly a common one. People always say, we never had a problem in all the two years we've had chickens, and then it happens. It can take time for predators to discover your "meat market" and two years is about average.

But sometimes a fail and even repeated fails are the way we find the vulnerabilities so we can prepare better to protect our flock. Too sadly, our chickens are the ones who pay for our learning curve. I know how you're feeling because I've been through this heartache, too.

I live in a wilderness area where the predators outnumber us humans, so I've studied up on their behavior so I can try to outwit them. It's taken years and a few deaths to come up with a plan that works for me.

Bobcats and foxes are expert climbers and clever problem solvers. Hawks are fast and sneaky. Weasels and rats and raccoons can find the smallest vulnerability and squeeze their bodies through it. It sounds overwhelming, but there are ways, not too expensive either, to thwart them all.

I suggest you spend some time hanging out on the Predator and Pests Forum. You will get an education about predators and their behavior and ways to combat them. You might even be able to help someone else with your experience.

I know your emotions are in tatters, but you're going to learn from this and your flock will be much safer going from here.

 

[rojochicks]

Thank you azygous for all your support over this emotional weekend. You're right, emotions are in tatters. I now know for sure it's a red fox, saw it in my backyard this morning at 1130! Coming back for more I'm sure. They are locked up tight in their run, just wish they could have more space like they are used to. I'm going to do as you suggest and read that predator forum until I can formulate a game plan.

 

[azygous]

Let me suggest you consider hot wire. It's discussed over on the Predator Forum at greater length, but it's the one remedy that not only can prevent predator attacks, but it effectively conditions predators that come into contact with it not to return.

You would install it up against your run. Predators will come into your yard at night or during the day when you have the chickens in the run and will contact the hot wire and will experience significant discomfort. Over a couple of months, you will see a marked absence of fox activity.

You may eventually be able to free-range your chickens again. If you can figure a way to install the hot wire against a perimeter barrier in your yard, in addition to the hot wire around your run, you could insure the safety of your flock at all times. This is in no way dangerous to humans and pets as long as it's properly installed. Even chickens receive only a mild shock if they touch the wire.

The "secret sauce" is peanut butter dabbed on the hot wire at intervals, inviting the predator to "get the message".

 

[mobius]

in my signature is a link to a thread about electrical fencing for the coop. I hope it may help. I put it there because I am always saddened by losses...

 

[Abriana]

Build a run and keep the remaining chicks in it until they learn of the dangers of the real world. I keep the babies in it for about two months full time after mama kicks them to the curb, then only in the run while I'm gone, and then full time out of the run. Good luck with the last two chicks!