She said/He said Who's right? Who's wrong? No one!

[meganhundley]

I'd go lower... those little @holes can slip right under that... but hotwire is a dang good idea...

double it one as close to the ground as you can get without touching the ground another above it  eight inch's

K, we'll do that then, thank you for the advice

 

[meganhundley]

Can't hurt, unless the birds free-range. A live trap might work, too, but if you go that way make sure you handle it with gloves on, preferably rubber, to eliminate human scent.

They don't free range. The funny thing is I had thought about letting them out to free range for the first time today but they were already gone.

 

[BYC910]

They don't free range. The funny thing is I had thought about letting them out to free range for the first time today but they were already gone.

these were small chickens .then it might be back tonight .

 

[kwhites634]

We have a whole lot of red tails and a few bald headed eagles and owls too I'm sure. All my runs are covered except for the Welsummer's run. The chicks were in a little section of chicken wire that was seperate from the others but it was covered. The outside of that little section was made out fence that has 2x4 inch holes and whatever it was pulled the cockrel through 1 of the holes. The poor little pullet was terrified, when I went out there she clung to me and kept hiding between my feet. And that's strange for her, she's doesn't like people anywhere near her and certainly doesn't liked being touched but she snuggled against my leg and actually wanted me to pet her. The poor little thing is all alone now. I locked her in the coop for the night so nothing can get her.

My coop is 2' off the ground, & the birds are locked in every night. Coon would really have a job getting in; nothing to get a hold on while it worked the door open. B4 he could get that far, he'd have to get through a chain link gate. The run has 1x2 welded wire aprons held down by 6' wooden fence posts. I check every day for any sign of digging from outside. Regular chicken wire ain't worth the time it takes to install it; a big boar coon won't even be slowed down. A fox would have to climb a 6' chain link panel and through a 2x4 welded wire cover.

I also keep a live trap outside the end of the run which has caught a couple coons & a skunk (that was fun!)

 

[meganhundley]

these were small chickens .then it might be back tonight .

The older wesummers,were fairly large. They were about 5 months old. The younger cockrel it got was about 2 months old so he was still fairly small. But the older ones were about 4-5 pounds I'd say. What I have left are all small breeds though. Nankins and Silkies.

 

[Ravynscroft]

The older wesummers,were fairly large. They were about 5 months old. The younger cockrel it got was about 2 months old so he was still fairly small. But the older ones were about 4-5 pounds I'd say. What I have left are all small breeds though. Nankins and Silkies.

5 months still isn't very big, not for predators... and at night, chickens are horrible sitting ducks... no pun intended... they will tuck their heads down and hope they aren't seen...

 

[meganhundley]

5 months still isn't very big, not for predators... and at night, chickens are horrible sitting ducks... no pun intended... they will tuck their heads down and hope they aren't seen...

Yeah, I wish I had been locking them in the coop all this time. They were all killed outside of the coop though, do you think it attacked early in the morning or would they all have run out of the coop when it went in after them if it came in at night?

 

[Ravynscroft]

Yeah, I wish I had been locking them in the coop all this time. They were all killed outside of the coop though, do you think it attacked early in the morning or would they all have run out of the coop when it went in after them if it came in at night?

No telling... unless there was enough light for them to see, they might not have run out of the coop... they have no night vision, so mighta ran in circles...

 

[meganhundley]

No telling... unless there was enough light for them to see, they might not have run out of the coop... they have no night vision, so mighta ran in circles...

There wouldn't have been an light til morning, I don't have any heatlamps out there. I was thinking it had happened early this moring before we got up. They were all killed in different parts of the run. From what I can gather from where the piles of feathers were anyway.

 

[Ravynscroft]

There wouldn't have been an light til morning, I don't have any heatlamps out there. I was thinking it had happened early this moring before we got up. They were all killed in different parts of the run. From what I can gather from where the piles of feathers were anyway.

All that can be done without seeing it in some way is guessing games... and it may change the times it will come back, they're smart and usually don't come when you expect... lock those babies up, get the camera recording, set traps and hotwire the place... good luck, I've been there too many times... :/