Something's killing my new hens (warning: a tad graphic)

[bobbi-j]

I'm on the prairie of western MN. While bobcats aren't common here, there have been a few sightings. I don't know if they were just passing through, or they hide that well. I'm just saying, don't discount the possibility. Racoons will carry off a chicken, too. In my experience, hawks will eat them at the kill site.

 

[IowaLez]

Money is an issue for me right now.

I'm in a nasty divorce battle and the first 14 months of the fight and first trial has me in some real debt. It's far from over.

I'm going to take my hens back to their old home for now, save up, draw up and build a secure coop (thankfully there's an Amish discount lumberyard here with big box store prices to get the 2 x 4's), and yes, get a camera, in that order. I mean, right now, the poor things can't even go outside in broad daylight unless I'm sitting there with them, and that's not right for them.

 

[bobbi-j]

I'm going to take my hens back to their old home for now, save up, draw up and build a secure coop (thankfully there's an Amish discount lumberyard here with big box store prices to get the 2 x 4's), and yes, get a camera, in that order. I mean, right now, the poor things can't even go outside in broad daylight unless I'm sitting there with them, and that's not right for them.

That sounds like a good plan. Sorry it has had to come to that, though.

 

[starri33]

I'm sorry to hear about your loss, when you can add skirting of hardware cloth to your coop and run, even chicken wire would work, 6 to 12 " down and the same out, while I can't say it will make it impossible for something to get to them, they will have to work for their dinner. If you build them a run, add hardware cloth to the sides of it to keep the coons from ripping through, while chicken wire will not stop a coon from coming in if he really wants dinner that bad, chicken wire will protect them from aerial predators. if you want them to be able to be out in the yard, consider making a chicken tractor. You'd be able to move it to different parts of the yard and it will offer them some protection, you might consider asking some of your neighbors if they have a scrap wood pile you could go through.. most folks do.

 

[Willowspirit]

That sounds like a good plan. Sorry it has had to come to that, though.

X2

 

[Willowspirit]

Oh. I know it's late there but you might consider going out with a spotlight and see if you see eyeshine in the tree. That might give you some info.

 

[Conan]

The picked clean bones sound like a bird of prey. Depending on the size of your ravens, they may be a daytime culprit. Hawks, too.
Your kitty probably fell prey to a coyote, but the bird losses sound more like aerial predators.
Sorry for your losses. Hardware cloth will be your best friend!

 

[IowaLez]

Predator found!
Great Horned Owl. There's a big nest way high up in the tree, almost obscured by the new leaves. I saw it this morning as I was walking on higher ground, downhill to the house from the pole barn. Parked inside it 'cuz I have a load in the truck bed to keep under cover from the storms today.

Was narrowly missed by the Elma tornado yesterday. Watched the funnel cloud go by not quite a mile west of me moving NE at 40mph. It touched down a mile north of me and knocked over a powerline, and then skip-hopped up to Lime Springs, nailing that wind turbine and hog farm 2 miles farther along, and damaged my gf's house roof in town.

 

[Duck_life]

those are most of our predators here in pa to but we dont get wolves

 

[Willowspirit]

Good to hear the tornado missed you! And good to know you found the predator. It's amazing what can be out there!