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

[Elliebear]

I have a 120lb Rottie, male, who is the sweetest dog you will ever meet. I raised my 3 little chicks next to him and he would sit there and let them peck him with no problems at all. I had 5 hens and two roosters until today. My two roosters I had to give away due to close neighbors and the crowing. That was a sad day to do that, but having the 5 hens was kinda nice. No agressive rooster and no crowing...I can deal with that; although he was one of the coolest roosters ever! My flock consists of 2 Beautiful Rohde Island Reds from a show line in Georgia (Georgia and Marge), 1 Wheaton Maran (Clucky), and 2 Kelsos (Iris and Rosa). They were a cute bunch that were very happy. I noticed a few cats lingering around and intrested in the free ranging hens so this morning, when I left for school, I decided to keep my male rottie out to watch the premises. I would never have left my female out, but Jax, my boy...he is no problem...He is a protector....UHHH No! I came home tonight to one Red with no tail feathers, AT ALL, the other Red had only feathers remaining, my wheaton maran, same thing. So as your probably thinking, well, yes they are currently in his stomach. I love my dog to death, but after a few tears over the loss of my little buddies I had put so much time, love and compassion into; lets just say we are not speaking tonight. And as for the Kelso's they are both in a neighboring yard, hiding for tonight and I hope they come home tomorrow morning, if they make it through the night. Kelsos are typically used as a fighting breed for those that don't know. They are really athletic for a chicken and can fly pretty well when they need to, or when they want to. These two hens were offspring of a rescued Winning Champ. Im not a fan of people who cockfight really, but I am glad they came from where they did because they escaped unharmed as far as my husband could see. He couldn't catch them, and I view this as a plus, if they were really that fast, then they were probably unharmed. I hope after they calm down they will return tomorrow morning. I'm truely shocked this happened, and I am really upset to lose my little pals. Tomorrow morning will be the hardest, when I go to feed them and only one, who is half naked, will maybe come out. The lesson here is don't trust your dog around your chickens, EVER! This was a tough lesson for me to learn, and I learned it the hard way. Your dog is never innocent ever!!!! I'm just blown away! It's too tempting I guess. I do have 3 baby chicks so I guess this will help the circle of life continue? Who knows!

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Thanks for sharing that elliebear. Don't be mad at the dog. They don't understand the way we think and how we feel sometimes. Dogs often act on impulse and too often we expect them to think like we do. But they are still dogs and will let us down on occasion because of their inability to think thru stuff like we as humans do. The dog was having fun not knowing he was breaking your heart and letting you down. Give him a break and learn from the experience. Good luck to you

 

[prettychicks]

Sorry to hear about your dog killing your chickens. I went through it too and my dogs were raised with my chickens. After two years, he killed them almost all of them for pure sport. I was heartbroken. Never thought he would do that but I learned a valuable lesson. NEVER trust your dogs with your chickens. Now snakes are what I fear but I use hardware cloth on my pens so hopefully, they can't get in.

 

[shanachie05]

When we first had our dog five years ago (she was three yo at the time), she ripped into a baby chick cage. They were about 6 weeks old. The dog popped them all like grapes. She got all 22 of them within seconds. I didn't see her, because I was out and Gram was babysitting my three yr old. It was just awful because my daughter saw the whole thing.
The dog is made a certain way, she is a Tennessee Squirrel dog. I never understood before I found out more about her. She is a great dog and is sweet and loving. She takes good care of us. But while we exercise caution and use training to slow her down a bit, we would never trust her completely with the chickens.

Then, three years ago, I had a large pen that was high. None of the birds could fly out and it was secure around the bottom, but had no top. *sigh* that was when I learned a hawk will just hang out and float down onto a chicken at any time of the day. Shortly after that, they got the pen with the top on it.

Lastly, three nights ago, (maybe four now), something opened my coop door and I lost ten chickens from in there. Not sure how many predators were involved, but I think it was more than one kind. There were piles of feathers that I could identify four of my missing chickens, and everything else was gone, no parts, no boddies, no flesh attached to any of the feathers.
The next night, a predator grabbed and dismembered a small hen through the wire on one of the hutches. I was absolutely speechless. The rooster that she was in with was ok, and hidden in the far corner of the hutch (two sides are solid wood, the other two are heavy gauge wire rectangles, the holes are 1/2 by 1inch holes.) There were feathers and blood stuck on the wire, and bits of flesh attached to feathers on the ground below.
We pulled on all side and the bottom and top of the hutch and everything is secure. It stands 4 feet off the ground and the door is latched with a beaner clip.

Speechless.

Hope these stories help someone else. The "pulling a chicken through rabbit hutch wire" story just leaves me confused.
Good luck...

 

[bj taylor]

it's heartbreaking to read these stories. it is a strong reminder for me to never trust my dogs. i want to. i want to let my chickens free-range in the big back yard. but that's only going to happen when i'm there or the dogs are locked up. that is AFTER my tomatoes are through. those darn chickens are tomato hogs!
this morning about 10 i looked up & saw a young coyote loping across my front lawn (i like to call it a lawn - but it's a yard. lol). i rushed out to check on my chickens. they were all fine, but it's a reminder that they are so vulnerable.

 

[RaeRae2]

I have 3 big dogs. They leave my birds alone, but I do NOT trust them. My birds are in a 24x27x6 foot run which is built very secure with hardware cloth. The only losses I've had to predators has been fox and hawks. The fox killed 1 and the hawks have killed MANY, too many to count over the years.

My chickens are currently kept in a horse stall at night that is covered in mesh, but we have decided that their coop with be the milkhouse (converted dairy barn.) It is 4 solid walls, concrete floor, 2 solid people doors, and 2 windows. The windows will be covered with hardware cloth and NOT screen! We are going to build a pop door going from the milkhouse, out into their run, which abutts the milkhouse. That pop door will be solid metal and will be latched every night from the inside and firmly locked. I can't stand the thought of them living in an open concept "coop" covered in mesh. I want them behind 4 solid walls.

If a coon, fox, coyote, etc... can't eat a hole through my house and get into my bedroom at night, then they can't eat a hole into my coop. It will essentially be the same thing! The milkhouse is a solid structure with insulation, steel siding on the outside, etc. The only weak points would be if someone leaves a door open, or if the hardware cloth came off a window, but we are going to triple secure them so that can't happen!

In fact, when we had a managey fox move onto our farm, I kept my chickens locked up in the milkhouse night and day (it's huge!). It was the ONLY secure place on my farm before we built the run.

 

[okallthis4eggs]

shanachie05 since it happened at night I would say a coon reached thru that cage and killed your hen. Coons will reach thru that bigger wire, grab the chicken and eat whatever it can pull thru the wire. Sounds like they are on to your chicken buffet and you better act quick with some changes or you won't have any left. Use 1/2" X 1/2" 19 guage hardware cloth on all sides of your chicken run and coop if you expect to keep them.

 

[lisa32469]

This is all too familiar to me...I am currently fighting some VERY clever and aggressive coons. I have been trying to trap them, but they are good enough to get out of a havaheart trap....three times now. They have killed all but four of my hens. I have 25 new black star chicks coming so I have to do something. They have even come on the back porch. I have horses and goats too, and I know they carry desease. I may have to poison them. I have no other choice at this point. I hate to do it, but they don't seem to want me to relocate them....I am affraid they will hurt my house dog if he goes after them when I let him out at night...not to mention kill any more chickens...I was ok with them eating some of the chicken and horse feed, but killing the flock has drawn the line.

 

[EeyoreD]

Coons will reach thru that bigger wire, grab the chicken and eat whatever it can pull thru the wire.

Yep - there are pictures around of a duck missing much of its upper beak because a coon grabbed it and ate it off through the wire. They don't care if they have access to the whole thing - enough to grab and bite is enough.

(the duck survived and is now living at a sanctuary, iirc)

 

[EeyoreD]

This is all too familiar to me...I am currently fighting some VERY clever and aggressive coons. I have been trying to trap them, but they are good enough to get out of a havaheart trap....three times now. They have killed all but four of my hens. I have 25 new black star chicks coming so I have to do something. They have even come on the back porch. I have horses and goats too, and I know they carry desease. I may have to poison them. I have no other choice at this point. I hate to do it, but they don't seem to want me to relocate them....I am affraid they will hurt my house dog if he goes after them when I let him out at night...not to mention kill any more chickens...I was ok with them eating some of the chicken and horse feed, but killing the flock has drawn the line.

try these: http://www.schmittent.com/dog_proof_coon (I've been told the Duke one is the best)

I've heard they're excellent. Safe around dogs but when something with a hand reaches in, it springs the trap. I just received 4 of them on the advice of several people on the boards. Bait them with sardines, corn or marshmallows just make sure you get the bait below the trigger so they have to grab under it and spring it.

I'll be setting mine as soon as I have a chance.

Actually, hang on, are you looking to relocate them or get rid of them? Relocate is a terrible idea. Coons are smart - the reason they're getting out of your traps is they've been in one once and some kind hearted but misguided person relocated them instead of dispatched them. So now they know what those traps are and how to defeat them. If you have a coon problem, especially (but not limited to) a smart coon problem, best to just get rid of them.