something is killing my chickens at night

[CanTucke08]

hey im new here and i have a very big problem - something is killing my chickens at night..this is a new problem in the past week i have lost 4 chickens. there stomach will be opened, feathers everywhere, no blood trace, no tracks and only some of the chicken was eaten. Im just not sure what to do.

 

[leadwolf1]

What kind of enclosure do you have them in? First thing to do is to make sure that they have a secure, predator-proof coop where they can be locked in at night.

 

[Yessur Ebob]

Make sure your birds are very secure at night, and there are no entrances for a predator. A weasel can fit through regular chicken wire, so you must be very careful to close up all holes. Then set a box trap, preferably with raw chicken for bait.

Good luck.

 

[CanTucke08]

i have a nice coop no way to get in really except for a small - small gap on the top of the door.

 

[Yessur Ebob]

Make sure you check around the bottom, rats and such will dig under. There's also a possibility that your birds could be picking each other to death. Unfortunately we've had that happen to our birds.

I know of some people that will put a pan of car antifreeze out. Most predators can't resist it and it kills them. However it will also kill cats, dogs and chickens, so you need to make sure no pets can gain access to it.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

Hi and from Ohio. So glad to have you aboard. A weasel can get through a 3/4" inch gap and kill anything. A good trail cam is money well spent on finding out what's lurking around the coop.

 

[redsoxs]

Welcome to BYC! Sorry to hear about your predator problem. I think a live trap will be your best chance - and closing up that gap on the top of the door. Also, post over at the Predators and Pests forum - maybe someone there can better guess what kind of critter you are dealing with based on your description of how they were eaten. Best of luck to you!

 

[leadwolf1]

Please make sure that all windows are secure, look around the floor for areas where something might have chewed a hole. Secure the gap in the door. I would say that isn't a rat..they usually just chew off their feet and beaks...

Your predator is larger...I'm not sure what a weasel will do...

 

[CanTucke08]

thank you! Just made repairs to the gap - no more gap

 

[sumi]

Hello and welcome to BYC

Glad you joined us! Hope you get your predator problem sorted.