So tired of predators...

[sshealy]

so sorry I cried for days when this same thing happened to us in our case it was a possum

 

[old biddy]

so sorry I cried for days when this same thing happened to us in our case it was a possum

My first thought was a raccoon...second thought was a possum. My thinking is either one could reach through the chain link, grab the chicken and pull it through the fence and bite the head off. But there was no sign of the body, just the head and a wing pulled through the fence. Could the raccoon or possum keep reaching through the fence pulling the body apart until it got the whole thing outside the fence and consume or take off with everything and yet leaving the head and the wing? There was no sign of any other body parts or guts, etc. Just the head and a wing left with a bunch of feathers. What could have done something like this?

 

[sshealy]

this guy climb up the side of our pen and pulled the hen sitting on the roosting pole out through the fencing the poles were crowded so we added more roosts and outside wire smaller to keep them away from the pen walls

 

[JulieBeth07]

I'm sorry for your loss. It's disheartening when you think you've got them safe and secure and you continue to lose them.

 

[Rldad1]

Heavy musky smell spells large boar raccoon! They can pull a chicken through the chain link. Electricity is your friend.

 

[KsKingBee]

How many dogs do you have?

Just two, the way GP's work is there is a far dog and a close dog. One ranges out at the perimeter and the other stays with the flock until needed to help the far dog.

 

[Annika514]

Thank you, Ruby Rogue. It is just so demoralizing. For years all my chickens and peafowl were free range without significant loss. I would lose one or two a year and learned to live with it. But, this past year I have been losing birds over and over to the point of having to keep them penned up. Sad to do it, but every time I think it might be safe (nothing on the game camera and no other signs of danger) and let them out for the day, there is an immediate attack. So, I can't let them out anymore and am trying to find out what predator is doing the damage. I have caught coyote, raccoon and possum on the camera at night recently while everyone is safely tucked inside the henhouse...and we have actually seen fox and bobcat during the day around the henhouse and chased them off. But we have not caught anyone in the act. (Sigh)

I am so sorry- that is demoralizing- and such a helpless feeling.

 

[old biddy]

Heavy musky smell spells large boar raccoon! They can pull a chicken through the chain link. Electricity is your friend.

Thank you for addressing the musky smell issue. It was a very strong scent. I remember smelling it from time to time in the past and I know we have raccoons around. I have seen one on our game camera but it was really late at night. This particular kill happened in the late afternoon while the chickens were in the day pen. These are hard lessons to learn.

 

[KsKingBee]

Nocturnal predators that hunt during the day often times carry rabies. Be careful cleaning up the debris by wearing rubber gloves.

 

[owlbaby55]

We have problems with raccoons and skunks.
Coyote urine spray bought online, seems to make them think twice