Tell How Predators Got Your Chickens. Save Somebody Else From The Bad Experience

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Might have more than one predator than shunks there sound like a coon or even a cat...don't skunks start with the gut, whereas cats eat the head off then the meaty parts, and most cats and/or coons will try to drag the carcass away, first.
My 'neighbor', not, little dog killed a young pullet, the feathers where pulled off the chest but couldn't break the skin it seems. It usually hunts mice and I didn't care, but this time I sent the dog after it. Lucy, my smallest dog at 120 lbs hit him at a run and rolled him about 25 feet....he hasn't been back if he is I'll sic to kill...my other neighbor, real, said it's killed some of his chickens too.

 

[fiveladybugs]

We just lost four duck eggs to a black snake, but possums and foxes are the worst in out area. We've had two possums get in our pens and successfully trapped them both, but that doesn't deture them from coming back unfortunately.

 

[KirstenJL]

In a perfect storm of mistakes I just lost two 2 month old chicks to a raccoon. I have a prefab wooden coop (very sturdy) with a hardware cloth-covered run attached. Surrounding this is electro netting. In a year and a half, I have had no losses to predation.

But this week I had to leave town for 2 days. I left the run door propped open and the fence on (I thought) with a freshly charged battery. I've done this occasionally before with no trouble. Came home to find 2 chicks outside the netting (alive and unharmed) and the other two missing. All the adults were fine too. Raccoon scat was everywhere inside the enclosure and coop and I found two small piles of feathers matching the 2 missing birds. I also found the grounding wire had fallen off the charger (probably when I changed the battery) so the fence wasn't charged. I found where the coon entered the enclosure over the electonetting by climbing a small sapling that was too near the fence. I'm not sure how (or if) he got out.

I spent the afternoon cutting trees that seemed too close to the run and I got the fence going again. I hope the raccoon is long gone and is now not trapped INSIDE the enclosure (it's wooded and I can't see all the way to the tops of all the trees so he could be hiding out). Anyway I will lock the chickens up tight tonight!

 

[kamir]

This has been a great thread, especially for a noob like myself. I'm in N.E Pennsylvania on 10 acres in the country, 8 wooded, currently building a coop, and expecting 5 NH Reds and 5 Delawares this Friday.
I do plan to free range and expect to lose a few though I'll do whatever I can to minimize losses. There have been lots of helpful ideas, etc., and I plan to incorporate many of them.
I expect raccoons to be the major predator, with the occasional fox and red tailed hawk a close second.
I guess I'll find out once word gets out to the "locals" that there's a new source of free food!
Regards,
•j•

 

[Davlyn]

I purchased a prebuilt coop from the Amish and it had a regular window on 1 side...I never gave it a second thought until a weasel ripped through the screen and killed 2 of my hens. Make sure EVERY opening of 1/2 inch or more is securely covered with hardware wire!

After reading this. I'll have to put that hardware wire over the outside of the coop windows.

 

[Davlyn]

Might have more than one predator than shunks there sound like a coon or even a cat...don't skunks start with the gut, whereas cats eat the head off then the meaty parts, and most cats and/or coons will try to drag the carcass away, first. My 'neighbor', not, little dog killed a young pullet, the feathers where pulled off the chest but couldn't break the skin it seems. It usually hunts mice and I didn't care, but this time I sent the dog after it. Lucy, my smallest dog at 120 lbs hit him at a run and rolled him about 25 feet....he hasn't been back if he is I'll sic to kill...my other neighbor, real, said it's killed some of his chickens too.

It seems We have a skunk or two living or napping under the old barn. I see no signs, but can smell it when I go in to feed mini Donkey & the old Morgan., It/ they stay out of the new barn.
I started to let mt chickens free range. Always close the coop doors. I now put the electric fence back on at nite & only let them range when I am home & my cats & dogs are out with me / them. Last wk my neighbors lost 13 chickens & 1 duck. They found most of the bodies, 1 of mine with no head. All mine have leg bands, had them tested last month. No clue what got them , had to be day time with mine as they are shut in at nite.. I can see their house, but there is alot of pasture between us. back in March I found 1 hen in the pen area with it's stomack ripped open. At this point it could be any predator , right~ we have them all around here. I am in Northern NH, back road & surrounded by woods.

 

[okallthis4eggs]

After reading this. I'll have to put that hardware wire over the outside of the coop windows.

A simple thing to do that might save your whole flock.

 

[okallthis4eggs]

After reading this. I'll have to put that hardware wire over the outside of the coop windows.

By the way. You can get it at Home Depot. Use a staple gun first to hold it in place. Then screw wooden strips all the way around the edges. You will be amazed how much better you (and especially the chickens) sleep

 

[Buxton Ducks]

I got lucky but I agree with the problems of "hook and eyes" and chicken wire. I have my duck's night house in my garage; safe right? Nope. I used chicken wire on the top of their outside pen to keep hawks out but I had no idea a raccoon could rip right through it! I went to let my ducks out one morning to find a huge hole in the top and one of the hook and eye latches undone. One more undone latch and I would have had dead ducks. I now have a welded wire top, hardware cloth skirt and hardware cloth over the windows. I also installed lockable slide bolts that I put carabiners on each one every night. I got a used vinyl window to use as a door to the coop as well, nice and secure unless a bear shows up!

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Davlyn-you have a coon. Or more than one. They eat the heads(brains) and the croup-full of food they must be well fed or they'd eat the whole thing. Skunks and possum aren't that bloodthirsty and other than annoy you they go for little things eggs too...if they can get them....eggs the universal food.