Somethimgs coming up through the floor

[Dragron_ heart]

My coop is built just like a house, dad was a contractor, but the floor is dirt. Recently I have lost a few of the smaller chickens during the night. There have been some small holes in the floor, which I fix right away, but they don't seem large enough to pull a chicken through them. Also, there are no telltale feathers on the floor. I am at a loss. The coop is secured at night so I know no predators are getting in. Never the less, chickens are missing in the morning. Any thoughts?

 

[CABINHOLLOWNC]

Pictures of the coop would help diagnose security issues. If the coop is locked up tight and chickens are disappearing, something has a way in and a way out.

 

[blackdog043]

Agree with CABIN. Post some pics of your coop and run, it will help to try and figure this out. If you don't have a wire apron around the coop, to stop digging, you should do that, since you have a dirt floor.

 

[NorthTexasWink]

@Dragron_ heart what part of the world are you in? Do you have large snakes? Weasels? Fishers? It helps us give you better answers to know approximately where you are, and to see the evidence.

 

[Dragron_ heart]

@Dragron_ heart what part of the world are you in? Do you have large snakes? Weasels? Fishers? It helps us give you better answers to know approximately where you are, and to see the evidence.

I live in western Washington. Wildlife flourishes here. It's unbelievable what raccoons can do to a flock of chickens.

 

[AllynTal]

A predator capable of killing chickens can get through a gap as small as 1 inch. I posted a link to a video here somewhere that shows a mink (in the U.S. they are larger than a weasel) scampering right through a 1-inch gap between two boards; it didnt even slow him down. Something is getting into the coop, so it isn't as secure as you thought. The floor is dirt with no skirting, so that's an easy entry point. Also, look up. Raccoons and other predators think nothing of climbing to gain access so gaps high up, even rood vents if they're not covered with hardware cloth, can let a predator in.

 

[Dragron_ heart]

Everyone asks about skirting but my coop is built on the ground, literally just like a house. Is was built by a carpenter and he framed it, etc as you would a regular building. Does a coop like that need skirting? We do have a major Mole issue. Can they kill chickens?

 

[WalnutHill]

We have fabric roof, welded wire fenced, raised wood deck coops. We cut holes in the floor and installed cast iron and or welded rod grates to set the waterers on for drainage. A red tailed hawk walked up under the coop and pulled a full grown red sex link hen through a 1.5" x 4" slot in the cast iron grate. I did not think a chicken could squish that much, but they can. Hen was bruised but okay as hubby chased the hawk off before it could pull the hen out from under the coop. We've now buried welded wire around the perimeter.

 

[17 chickens]

I lived in Western Washington and had chickens for years growing up there, Now I live in Eastern Washington. Skunks, weasels will get in the coop anyway they can. They will dig a little hole next to the chickens at night just enough to grab it and pull it through the hole with no trace besides the whole. You need to put hardware clothe up. Dig around the whole coop about a foot and attach the cloth to the coop with washers and screws. do not use nails or staples the will pull it off to get in. Then cover up the hardware cloth that sits down in the dirt, If you can find rocks and use them too. the other is you can try hot wire but I never had any luck with that. It's not snakes in that area cause they just have garden snakes no big bull snakes and rattlers like this side of the state.
Good luck and let me know how you do!

 

[17 chickens]

Moles won't kill chickens!