We just had a new baby two weeks ago, and so forgot to close in the chickens until 9 a few nights ago. It wasn't until the morning when he was letting them out that my husband saw what he had missed in the dark: all four chickens had been pulled off their roost in the coop and killed. We think racoon because all their faces were gone, and one head. And he had time to empty out one's whole cavity. It probably would have eaten more, but I suspect my husband scared it away as he approached in the snow from across the yard. We put the bodies out for the coyotes across the river valley, to continue the cycle of life.
I feel rather badly -- our dog passed on in November, and without her around there was nothing to deter pests anymore. We should have been more vigilant. For five years we haven't ever had a predator on our property, no tracks, nothing, so we were lulled into complacency (and some baby-induced sleep deprivation). So, no more chickens for us until we either move to a place where we can build a tractor coop for safer free-ranging, a much larger coop, or we get another dog...
We love you Phoenix, Kiah, Hedwig & Ladyhawk! We hope you are ranging free wherever you are.
I feel rather badly -- our dog passed on in November, and without her around there was nothing to deter pests anymore. We should have been more vigilant. For five years we haven't ever had a predator on our property, no tracks, nothing, so we were lulled into complacency (and some baby-induced sleep deprivation). So, no more chickens for us until we either move to a place where we can build a tractor coop for safer free-ranging, a much larger coop, or we get another dog...
We love you Phoenix, Kiah, Hedwig & Ladyhawk! We hope you are ranging free wherever you are.
