Strange poo found around chicken run/coop

[Cornbanessa]

Hello, new chicken owner here! Just put my girls out a couple weeks ago. They are 5 & 6 weeks old about. We built their coop and made it very safe and predator proof, their run however my husband went cheap and used chicken wire instead of hardware cloth. We plan on free ranging as they get older. We have a border collie that treats the chickens as her babies and keeps a close eye on them, but she comes in at night and they are locked up in their coop at night. This morning I went out to let them out and I found small ish poop circling around the run area, I guess two piles to be exact. I picked it up immediately but now I'm worried I may have some type of predator stalking my birds! And I'm freaked out to have them outside. Anyone else had an experience like this?! It could be cat, or raccoon, I've seen those in the area and unfortunately have 2 neighbors that feed them everyday... but my other neighbor used to have free range birds so I figured it be ok...

 

[bobbi-j]

Next time, take a picture of the scat and post it. I can guarantee you someone here will know what it is.

I'd probably be going shopping myself and picking up some hardware cloth or welded wire to put around that chicken wire, then get it on there. (That's usually the fastest way to get my DH to do something - start doing it myself. I'm... let's say "mechanically challenged" and am not real good with tools. I like to do projects, but it makes him crazy because I'm not quite as precise as he is in measuring, and I just don't do things his way. It's painful for him to watch, so eventually he needs to "help". He panics when he sees me carrying his power tools around

)

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! Upgrade your run as soon as possible, and lock those birds in their coop without fail at dusk. If you've been spreading food or treats outside of the coop and run, stop; that will help also. Cats will usually bury their poo, opossums dump at random, and raccoons tend to have 'potty spots' that are used most often. It's crazy to feed raccoons out there! You will have problems, for sure, and most predators have no problems getting past chicken wire; it's a waste of time and money. If you decide to trap those critters, be prepared to shoot them; relocation is harmful and illegal most places. Could Animal Control talk to the neighbor? Good luck, Mary

 

[Cornbanessa]

Thanks for your replies. I've been keeping a close eye and so far no more poo has shown up. I will however be upgrading to hardware cloth ASAP. Until then I will just have to be ultra vigilant. I live in some what of a rural area with lots of renter which then turns into people abandoning their cats. To make it worse I have two elderly women that live on either side of me that leave food out everywhere for them! Which then becomes fair game to all kind of critters! I have my dog out most days so she keeps most critters out of the yard but at night she is inside and it's all fair game.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

You already got great advice.

Good paying attention!

Best wishes.

 

[Ninachicks]

Hello, new chicken owner here! Just put my girls out a couple weeks ago. They are 5 & 6 weeks old about. We built their coop and made it very safe and predator proof, their run however my husband went cheap and used chicken wire instead of hardware cloth. We plan on free ranging as they get older. We have a border collie that treats the chickens as her babies and keeps a close eye on them, but she comes in at night and they are locked up in their coop at night. This morning I went out to let them out and I found small ish poop circling around the run area, I guess two piles to be exact. I picked it up immediately but now I'm worried I may have some type of predator stalking my birds! And I'm freaked out to have them outside. Anyone else had an experience like this?! It could be cat, or raccoon, I've seen those in the area and unfortunately have 2 neighbors that feed them everyday... but my other neighbor used to have free range birds so I figured it be ok...

 

[cmom]

I noticed you have been a member for awhile. My suggestion is to put up a game camera if you have one and see what is lurking. I have several cameras up on my property and was surprised at the predators that roam here especially at night. I have gotten to where I could identify some from markings or injuries. Many use the same routines and routes. I do have electric wires around my coops and pens. The perimeter fencing around my pens is chicken wire but I used welded wire between the pens with chicken wire but that was more because over time the chicken wire would rust out and have to be replaced and the birds would of course find a break in it and get into the next pen, so the welded wire stopped that. I used to free range the birds but my birds were eventually discovered and I lost some to predators. My birds have nice large covered pens with some good heavy duty netting due to some losses from aerial predators. I also put concrete under the gates because a fox dug under a gate and killed several birds. One time a coyote went over a fence into a pen and it and several birds went back over and it did kill some of them. Good luck with your new flock and have fun...

 

[cmom]

@Ninachicks
Where in the country are you located?