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

[Coralietg]

We've had many losses over the years, I can share the avoidable ones.

Rat snake got into the brooder box. First morning, I found 2-3 dead chicks (6 weeks) in the brooder box, I figured they had being trampled. Second right, I heard commotion outside (I was keeping them in an outside laundry room). I found the snake in the brooder box with them, it had eaten a chick, killed two others, but was too fat to get back out through the bars. We reinforced the crate brooder box with hardware cloth.

I got lazy shutting the chickens away early this year. Second time not putting them away, the next morning we get up to all chickens gone or dead. Likely a coyote or fox. ALWAYS lock the coop! I felt guilty for a long time.

We got new chickens, nearly 40 of them. We created a penned run to let them free range supervised. Partner and I were seemingly on the wrong page, he let them out of the coop into the run before he left for work. Kids and I were still in bed. I got up, went out to let them out, found 36 dead young chickens. Killed by dogs.

 

[sueiris]

is using hardware cloth good enough to keep possums/raccoons out of a coop? I will probably be adding an automatic door for the enclosed coop also......

 

[colburg]

is using hardware cloth good enough to keep possums/raccoons out of a coop? I will probably be adding an automatic door for the enclosed coop also......

I haven't had a problem with coons getting through hardware cloth. Never heard of anyone on here having a problem with coons getting through hardware cloth either. Don't have possums though.

 

[tankerman]

We've lost 4-5 birds over the years, primarily to owls with one getting caught by a hawk.

Took us a while to figure out it was an owl, finally spotted the owl hovering over the the chickens right at dusk. The owl was getting the hens when they were heading back to the coops to rooster for the night.

 

[Too Fast]

^^^now that's a thought. I have not noticed owls at dusk, but should be suspected. We have a lot of them in Indiana.

 

[Jipus5]

Our Rottweiler died in November of 2012. The next Spring, I hatched over 180 chicks to add to my flock of 17. My coop is made of 18 wheeler doors, slightly embedded in the ground. Each morning they are let out to free range all day, hens will saunter back in to lay, and in the evening they voluntarily go back in to Roost. We shut the doors each night.
A red fox that had bred with a large cream colored dog (was as tall and big as a Lab) led up to 3 other foxes from January - September this year and killed/hauled off 158 of my chickens... all during the day! They even walked to my neighbors back door, and I videotaped them scratching and biting at the door...she has 4 small dogs that were barking like crazy. Scared us all. Two of my neighbors toy dogs are still missing (terrier and a pekinese).
We live 7 miles from town, and have 7 neighbors within 154 acres. 20 yards from my backdoor begins the thin forest, front yard is open for 9 acres in all 3 directions, and my mother in law lives 45 yards in front of me.
We were watching a movie one sunny afternoon, I got up for a soda, and saw them out my kitchen window. We ran out, and found a pile of 7 dead 'teen' aged chickens with two foxes currently trotting away with one chicken in each of their mouths... they were hording! Apparently they are nursing their pups during these springs months so guess they were hungry...
In May, we met a lady with a pregnant Great Pyrenees. Put down a deposit, and picked him up July 8, 2013. We left him outside with a nice huge doghouse, and feed him BEFORE we let the chickens out each morning. Twice, when the foxes attacked again, he laid on the back porch and watched! Red Foxes are protected by the Louisiana Fur Trade Act so we cant shoot, harm, catch, nor relocate them. Unless attacking a human, so livestock protection laws didn't apply on our behalf. Trust me, I called.
Now, I had stopped letting them free range. Each morning, I placed their food INSIDE the coop, then while they were chowing down, stacked two metal dog kennels in front of the open coop door with the bottom ones door open, so they could come OUT a little, but not GET out.
About ready to strangle the dog, I soon noticed a growth spurt. At 4.5 months old, he was the height of our previous Rottweiler and we have not seen the foxes nor sign of them again! Neither has any of our neighbors actually!
BUT.... the dog, 'Junior', wanted to follow the chickens around, which is his nature as a poultry protector. BUT, when hatched babies are ready to leave my house and blend with the flock, it takes a few weeks to get brave enough to go far from the coop....and Junior was very confused who to stay near.....so, he ate the young ones and went out to protect the mature ones...
So, lesson learned. My 3 metal dog kennels will be used for the chicks from now on, placed at different distances from the coop.
By ages, they will graduate from cage to cage until ready to free range. I'll place them in the coop each night, and place them in the grass each day and hopefully this year will turn out right. BTW, Junior is now one of the best decisions we have made! He even barks and runs after birds that fly around the property! Even caught a 5 month old sleeping on his rump one day...

 

[Bocrates]

Our first loss was my fault for underestimating fox abilities. I was finishing the wire roof for the run this summer and had the pullets out in the run as I was there watching. I went to the garage to get more poultry staples and returned 60 seconds (an honest estimate) later to find nothing but a few feathers from two of my birds. So the fox must have been watching me, saw me leave, made it out of the woods 50 yards away, climbed 4ft of hardware cloth, grabbed two pullets, climbed back up, and made it to the woods in 60 seconds. I know we have lots of foxes, I see at least 3 a week in the area during daylight, some times watching me as I do chores.

Our second loss was also my fault I suppose, but I have to give some credit to a relentless fox. The run perimeter wire was buried and concreted from the start, the coop is made of 3/4 plywood with enough decking screws to build a porch all the way around our house, I finished the run roof wiring with a more heavy duty design than planned, and I began trapping and having animal control remove. However, one mid-morning I came out to find that I missed a few poultry staples on one of my hardware cloth seems and somehow mr. fox slithered his way in and made off with two more chickens. I went around and checked every inch of the coop once more.

Last week I trapped my 10th fox since June, unfortunately 2 nights ago we had another set of tracks and photo. I have just about given up on animal control as I think they are driving a mile and letting them go. Though I haven't done it, a gal at the feed store informed me that there are local taxidermists and fur dealers that will pay $50 for the pelts. That buys a lot of chicken feed. I think it could be justified mentally as restitution.

 

[gander007]

I like the way you camouflaged your trap explant job I see why you are
catching your pray ....... One question are you required to turn your Fox
over to animal control please don't get me wrong I understand both sides
and I am just asking as chicken loss is a lot of time wasted and money ..

gander007.....

 

[gander007]

Our Rottweiler died in November of 2012. The next Spring, I hatched over 180 chicks to add to my flock of 17. My coop is made of 18 wheeler doors, slightly embedded in the ground. Each morning they are let out to free range all day, hens will saunter back in to lay, and in the evening they voluntarily go back in to Roost. We shut the doors each night.
A red fox that had bred with a large cream colored dog (was as tall and big as a Lab) led up to 3 other foxes from January - September this year and killed/hauled off 158 of my chickens... all during the day! They even walked to my neighbors back door, and I videotaped them scratching and biting at the door...she has 4 small dogs that were barking like crazy. Scared us all. Two of my neighbors toy dogs are still missing (terrier and a pekinese).
We live 7 miles from town, and have 7 neighbors within 154 acres. 20 yards from my backdoor begins the thin forest, front yard is open for 9 acres in all 3 directions, and my mother in law lives 45 yards in front of me.
We were watching a movie one sunny afternoon, I got up for a soda, and saw them out my kitchen window. We ran out, and found a pile of 7 dead 'teen' aged chickens with two foxes currently trotting away with one chicken in each of their mouths... they were hording! Apparently they are nursing their pups during these springs months so guess they were hungry...
In May, we met a lady with a pregnant Great Pyrenees. Put down a deposit, and picked him up July 8, 2013. We left him outside with a nice huge doghouse, and feed him BEFORE we let the chickens out each morning. Twice, when the foxes attacked again, he laid on the back porch and watched! Red Foxes are protected by the Louisiana Fur Trade Act so we cant shoot, harm, catch, nor relocate them. Unless attacking a human, so livestock protection laws didn't apply on our behalf. Trust me, I called.
Now, I had stopped letting them free range. Each morning, I placed their food INSIDE the coop, then while they were chowing down, stacked two metal dog kennels in front of the open coop door with the bottom ones door open, so they could come OUT a little, but not GET out.
About ready to strangle the dog, I soon noticed a growth spurt. At 4.5 months old, he was the height of our previous Rottweiler and we have not seen the foxes nor sign of them again! Neither has any of our neighbors actually!
BUT.... the dog, 'Junior', wanted to follow the chickens around, which is his nature as a poultry protector. BUT, when hatched babies are ready to leave my house and blend with the flock, it takes a few weeks to get brave enough to go far from the coop....and Junior was very confused who to stay near.....so, he ate the young ones and went out to protect the mature ones...
So, lesson learned. My 3 metal dog kennels will be used for the chicks from now on, placed at different distances from the coop.
By ages, they will graduate from cage to cage until ready to free range. I'll place them in the coop each night, and place them in the grass each day and hopefully this year will turn out right. BTW, Junior is now one of the best decisions we have made! He even barks and runs after birds that fly around the property! Even caught a 5 month old sleeping on his rump one day...

Wow Law's ya I just found out a law was past some ten yrs ago that leg traps even in your own yard was ill legal and the County
Man in charge of this came out and asked me to pick them up and that I could wind up in court if I did this again and that I needed
to sell my traps #@^*&%#$# I got them traps from my Grandpaw in the 1960's he got them from a family member when he was
just a kid ,,, the funny thing is they still work but I was told I could use a shotgun or a .22 and you think my neighbors were mad I
put out traps now I had to go to Home Depo to get one of them hand held toys to check for heat loss around doors and windows
now when me Geese make noise at night I go out with this thing and a 12 Ga w/ 3 1/2 shells they loe this at three in the morning
now I am not trying to be a jerk but I also have time and money into my chickens ducks geese genies and it adds up fast and I
think I should be able to catch and keep but if I use a cage I have to turn them over to the county ( MY Catch ) .....Where do you
think them guys release these predators Ha Ha ...
I wish you luck ........

gander007

 

[The Lazy L]

...The only reason I even thought of relocating is I hate to kill ANYTHING,...

Thank you. Wondered who was dumping Coons in my part of the world.