So they're dead now. :((

[21hens-incharge]

It really sounds like raccoons to me. Horrible that they leave the body.

 

[GrannyHeeney]

Despite the pall over us right now, I got Hubby to chuckle by telling him there seems to be malice aforethought. He might ground me from Forensic Files for a while. LOL

 

[nancykay2kay]

I lost a chicken on Monday to a snake. I am a first time chicken owner and had four backyard chickens. Now I have three. On Thursday morning I found the culprit trying to get in the coop and was able to dispatch him. Yesterday I removed all the pine shavings and put in sand and now I have chiggers. Lots of them. I have noticed the chickens were scratching a lot. I bought permethrin 10 to spray the coop and the chickens with when it is a little cooler this evening. I live in Texas and it is a triple digit day. Having chickens is a heart breaker. Sorry you had that experience. I feel your pain along with a dozen chigger bites. We do the best we can until we know better and then we adjust.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

I'm thinking the wire skirt/apron is what we need, all other of those bases are covered.

I'm thinking photos of your set up will help us assist you better with suggestions.

 

[GrannyHeeney]

I lost a chicken on Monday to a snake. I am a first time chicken owner and had four backyard chickens. Now I have three. On Thursday morning I found the culprit trying to get in the coop and was able to dispatch him. Yesterday I removed all the pine shavings and put in sand and now I have chiggers. Lots of them. I have noticed the chickens were scratching a lot. I bought permethrin 10 to spray the coop and the chickens with when it is a little cooler this evening. I live in Texas and it is a triple digit day. Having chickens is a heart breaker. Sorry you had that experience. I feel your pain along with a dozen chigger bites. We do the best we can until we know better and then we adjust.

Ants. Flipping ants. They swarmed outside the coop door, I looked down and was covered with them. I am burning and itching everywhere. I'm thinking you gotta love you some chickens if you're gonna keep chickens.

 

[GrannyHeeney]

Thank you to all who have offered advice, on this and other threads. The "Fort Knox" plan has been implemented and we just sent away for a coop that has a moat and small turret guns around the exterior. LOL We all agree it was painful but our chicken-y future looks all the better for the learning experience. BTW, talked to the lady at the feed store--she didn't ask a single question and immediately replied "coons." Our last 3 girls will be spending the nights in my besties' old brooder til the UPS man delivers Fort Knox.

 

[Pullet5]

 

[lotusgirl73]

Gosh...I am so sorry to hear that. I lost another baby myself this afternoon. Went out for a while and my daughter found the chick on the first acre of property. Damn Squirrels. I'm going to have set traps myself...tell your hubby my hubby is up in arms, as well. What a week! I pray we all have a better one starting tomorrow!!

 

[Duckztailz1]

Sorry for your devastating loss I have 10 feral cats next door and I could tell you from my experience it most likely wasnt the cats they don't really have thumbs so it would be hard for them to hold the bird through the cage while eating it.

I think you should go with the hardware cloth over the chicken wire.

 

[4 ever Orpington]

Both chicks, Stella and Deedee, our Brahma teenagers. They were laying in a pile this morning--something had eaten their heads/necks down to their chests. Of course, I was the one who found my little sweeties. It took me this long to post because I am shattered. My neighbor/bestie thinks it was a small coon. No idea. People keep chucking their cats out of their cars around here and they keep winding up at our places, and they've killed other people's chickens, so who knows. Spent 3 hours today putting chicken wire across the top of the big girls' place, and, after reading posts for the last ten minutes, I'm going to do even more tomorrow--someone mentioned Fort Knox: oh yeah, it's on, baby. Kill my little sweeties, you're not getting my Rock girls next. I know whatever it was will be back since it had a meal. My besties' hubby set up a number of live traps baited with Honey Buns (apparently, Honey Buns are like crack for coons). I'm just so, so sad...my babies... ( All my Brahmas, gone...

Sorry for your loss. Hope the traps yield a 100% kill rate.