Someone help!! Never had this happen......:(

[rookhomestead]

If its brave... Set some stinky canned cat food out, and wait.... BANG!!!!no more raccoon problem. I've heard they can eat a whole bird through a 1/2in hole.

 

[rookhomestead]

And smell a duck from 5miles away. I don't know how true that is, but apparently yours is much closer. Good luck

 

[peepsnquacks]

Thank you everyone. I do have an animal trap, and I had to shoot one of my favorite chickens yesterday, and lost two more the same 24 hour period. I will have ZERO problem shooting that raccoon.
My animal loving husband might not let me, in which case I guess I'll trap it and drop it off where I happen to know live a TON of alligators...hahaha.

 

[rookhomestead]

Baaahahahaha.

 

[welovechickens]

Chicken wire doesn't protect against predators at all. You must use 1/2" hardware cloth like was previously mentioned. I'm so sorry for the loss of your babies!

 

[paulnix]

Grab the .22 and kill it, should be fairly easy if it is coming up to eat off the porch, once you sorted that one i'd make sure there isn't an easy option of cat food outside to draw more in.

 

[Cacique500]

Are you using 1/2" hardware cloth or something larger? Sounds like something is still getting it's paw inside.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Helpppp!!! I have NO idea what happened, but we have a large hoop coop with 6 eight week old Pekin ducks, 4 eight week old chickens, 6 six week old Leghorns, and 5 four week old assorted other chickens. There is PLENTY of room for them all, as we have put in boxes and perches for roosting, etc. They all go out to play and eat grass and bugs in the evenings.
This morning, I found one of my eight week old Red Rangers, completely torn apart under both wings. It was like a chicken anatomy class, you could see ALL of its organs. No holes or blood anywhere else, no feathers anywhere around or missing from the chicken, looks like something just lifted its wings and removed the skin from both sides. Of COURSE, me being the only one at home, I had to put it down with a .22. First time I've ever had to do something like that, but I couldn't just let it sit there and die a horribly slow and painful death!!
Our coop is very predator proofed. Wire bottom, wire all the way around, chicken wire reinforced at the bottom half, and tarps covering over the roosting area.
Could my Pekins have done this?!?!? None of them are even old enough to be interested in breeding yet? And this is not a breeding injury, this was just horrible.....help help help, can anyone help me figure out the mystery of what happened?
Mr. Peeps (hubby) thinks the Pekins attacked it out of boredom and overcrowding, then once it was bleeding, all the chickens jumped in and pecked at it repeatedly. Please let me know your thoughts!!!! I don't know how to make a new thread, so I'm sorry for stealing this one....still learning to navigate around here....at least I'm in the right category?!?
I am heartbroken. The ducks and chickens are like my children. I love each and every one, and do everything to keep them healthy.

Thanks....
PeepsNQuacks

It sounds like a raptor attack. How sure are you that your coop or pen is hawk or owl proof?

The flesh or muscles being stripped away and the internal organs left behind sounds like the work of a raptor.

 

[wytecap]

Helpppp!!! I have NO idea what happened, but we have a large hoop coop with 6 eight week old Pekin ducks, 4 eight week old chickens, 6 six week old Leghorns, and 5 four week old assorted other chickens. There is PLENTY of room for them all, as we have put in boxes and perches for roosting, etc. They all go out to play and eat grass and bugs in the evenings.
This morning, I found one of my eight week old Red Rangers, completely torn apart under both wings. It was like a chicken anatomy class, you could see ALL of its organs. No holes or blood anywhere else, no feathers anywhere around or missing from the chicken, looks like something just lifted its wings and removed the skin from both sides. Of COURSE, me being the only one at home, I had to put it down with a .22. First time I've ever had to do something like that, but I couldn't just let it sit there and die a horribly slow and painful death!!
Our coop is very predator proofed. Wire bottom, wire all the way around, chicken wire reinforced at the bottom half, and tarps covering over the roosting area.
Could my Pekins have done this?!?!? None of them are even old enough to be interested in breeding yet? And this is not a breeding injury, this was just horrible.....help help help, can anyone help me figure out the mystery of what happened?
Mr. Peeps (hubby) thinks the Pekins attacked it out of boredom and overcrowding, then once it was bleeding, all the chickens jumped in and pecked at it repeatedly. Please let me know your thoughts!!!! I don't know how to make a new thread, so I'm sorry for stealing this one....still learning to navigate around here....at least I'm in the right category?!?
I am heartbroken. The ducks and chickens are like my children. I love each and every one, and do everything to keep them healthy.

Thanks....
PeepsNQuacks

 

[peepsnquacks]

UPDATE!!!!

Thank you all so much for being here for me and my first real PROBLEM since we started being duck/chicken addicts.
Well, we shot and killed the raccoon with the .22. Really the only option as it already had a taste for chicken. Yes there are probably more on the property, but we got the main offender, and have had no more incidents. It was a small female who would easily have been able to get a hand through the multi wrapped chicken wire.
We also trapped and relocated a possum. Don't think it was after any chickens or could've gotten any, but better safe then sorry....
Important lesson I learned....and for newcomers, you may not know this, not sure where to post that it will do the most good....
CHICKENS ONCE DISTURBED OFF THE ROOST DO NOT GO BACK UP THERE. They would've been save on the roost and in the boxes we have set up for them. But, predator comes around, stirs them all up, and then they fall asleep wherever they are sitting. Which is usually pressed up against the wire to the outside. Perfect place for predator to grab. SOMETIMES we can force them to roost, but it is VERY DIFFICULT. At bedtime, (8:24) they go in the coop, on their own, and roost. Immediately fall asleep.
We do have Barred Owls that always come very close when we let the chickens out from 7-8:24. But no one has swooped down yet, and yes, the coop is raptor proof.

Thank you ALL so much for your replies!! Haven't been on here recently, but all the support is wonderful!! I feel so loved!! And that you all care about my babies..So nice....thank you thank you thank you.....