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

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Managed to clear a trail all the way through, lots of trails there...also got the ATV hung up...yup...lets just say, gravity is a funny thing, but I didn't let it go completely over the edge. Gotta take pics but not going back there today, in a light rain now. No sign of feathers, not one anywhere yet...still looking for ground zero.

 

[CuriousKitten]

Well, I didn't lose any hens but, I almost did. I had a very well protected coop, we had double welded wire run, a rock trench and a very strong coop. Well, unknown to us a rat must've chewed a quarter size hole in the corner of the coop and an Ermine got in. I went out to shut up my chickens for the night and I heard them cackling loudly. I went out and I thought it was a ferret because, I'd never seen an ermine before. I chased it out of the coop and went over to the neighbors asking if they had a lose ferret. No, they didn't I went back into the coop and the ermine was back and it was attached to one of my GL Wyandotte hens. I pulled it off with my bare hands and I had to kill it since it kept coming back.

We promptly lined the flooring of the coop with 1/4 wire hardware cloth and stuffed any holes with steel wool and hardware cloth.

I also put a 500' range baby monitor out in the coop so I could keep an ear out in the coop, so if the chickens started cackling I could go out and make sure there wasn't a predator.

So far no loses.

I love the baby monitor idea! gonna use that!

 

[gram of five]

I remember reading somewhere in here last year, no matter how safe your coop and run are, preditors can still find a way in. I didn't mean to be smug, but I thought, nope not mine, they are safe. Well, I did learn no matter how safe, preditors can and will find a way in.

We have a 10x30 covered run with a coop in the run, but on the weekend when we are home we like to let the girls out to enjoy what is left in our fenced garden. It was a mild winter last year so they were able to find some grass and stuff. Anyway,one sunday we let them out to enjoy some sun and mild weather, later in the day my husband and I came outside to clean the coop and give them fresh water and feed. We heard them all upset and in the run, but we couldn't see them at that point. My husband went down to the run to get the watering cans and I went to get the bucket of food for them. I heard my husband calling me and came running. There was a hawk that just up and walked in the run after them. I can only imagine that it was circling over head and the girls ran into the run for safety and the hawk landed and walked right in the coop. Yes, it did get one of my girls, we were heart broken. But lesson learned, no matter how safe your coop, preditors can and will find a way in. The lesson here is: hawks WILL land and walk in a coop or run if the chickens are inside.

For the longest time, I didn't even want to let them back out in the garden, but we decided, to keep them cooped up would be worse than a hawk attack. We keep our ears in tune to them and our eyes watchful now when they are in the garden.

That is my experience and I hope it will avoid the loss of one of your girls.

 

[Sallysec]

I remember reading somewhere in here last year, no matter how safe your coop and run are, preditors can still find a way in.  I didn't mean to be smug, but I thought, nope not mine, they are safe.  Well, I did learn no matter how safe, preditors can and will find a way in.

We have a 10x30 covered run with a coop in the run, but on the weekend when we are home we like to let the girls out to enjoy what is left in our fenced garden.  It was a mild winter last year so they were able to find some grass and stuff.  Anyway,one sunday we let them out to enjoy some sun and mild weather, later in the day my husband and I came outside to clean the coop and give them fresh water and feed.  We heard them all upset and in the run, but we couldn't see them at that point.  My husband went down to the run to get the watering cans and I went to get the bucket of food for them.  I heard my husband calling me and came running.  There was a hawk that just up and walked in the run after them.  I can only imagine that it was circling over head and the girls ran into the run for safety and the hawk landed and walked right in the coop.  Yes, it did get one of my girls, we were heart broken.  But lesson learned, no matter how safe your coop, preditors can and will find a way in.  The lesson here is: hawks WILL land and walk in a coop or run if the chickens are inside.

For the longest time, I didn't even want to let them back out in the garden, but we decided, to keep them cooped up would be worse than a hawk attack.  We keep our ears in tune to them and our eyes watchful now when they are in the garden. 

That is my experience and I hope it will avoid the loss of one of your girls. 

I was just reading stores guide to raising chickens,and in one chapter about predators they say how hawks and owls will just go right in the coop like they belong. There was a reference about an owl roosting with the chickens. Talk about fast food....just sleep next to your next meal. I am sorry you lost one of your girls that way, but thank you for proving that this kind of stuff happens. I have never seen a hawk or owl in my area, but now that we are going to keep chickens I am trying to really listen and observe, and lo and behold there was an owl recently nearby.

 

[okallthis4eggs]

I remember reading somewhere in here last year, no matter how safe your coop and run are, preditors can still find a way in. I didn't mean to be smug, but I thought, nope not mine, they are safe. Well, I did learn no matter how safe, preditors can and will find a way in.

We have a 10x30 covered run with a coop in the run, but on the weekend when we are home we like to let the girls out to enjoy what is left in our fenced garden. It was a mild winter last year so they were able to find some grass and stuff. Anyway,one sunday we let them out to enjoy some sun and mild weather, later in the day my husband and I came outside to clean the coop and give them fresh water and feed. We heard them all upset and in the run, but we couldn't see them at that point. My husband went down to the run to get the watering cans and I went to get the bucket of food for them. I heard my husband calling me and came running. There was a hawk that just up and walked in the run after them. I can only imagine that it was circling over head and the girls ran into the run for safety and the hawk landed and walked right in the coop. Yes, it did get one of my girls, we were heart broken. But lesson learned, no matter how safe your coop, preditors can and will find a way in. The lesson here is: hawks WILL land and walk in a coop or run if the chickens are inside.

For the longest time, I didn't even want to let them back out in the garden, but we decided, to keep them cooped up would be worse than a hawk attack. We keep our ears in tune to them and our eyes watchful now when they are in the garden.

That is my experience and I hope it will avoid the loss of one of your girls.

Educational and that will help somebody for sure, Thanks for posting your experience.

 

[okallthis4eggs]

A hawk has excellent eyesight. Often they will perch in the top of trees while watching their prey on the ground until the right opportunity to make a move. That opportunity could be when you go in the house. Most of the time its over for their prey when they pounce on them often killing them from the impact of their strike.

 

[love my birds]

Sadly, I lost another chicken today, one of my polish hens. That's the 2nd chicken in the last number of days. WE saw a hawk swoop down this afternoon, and I'm certain he took the chicken. I didn't think hawks would attack "fellow birds", but I was probably being naive. I also didn't think they'd attack during the day. What can I do to protect my girls, who roam freely in the yard during the day? Any suggestions?
Thank you for any input.

 

[okallthis4eggs]

Sadly, I lost another chicken today, one of my polish hens. That's the 2nd chicken in the last number of days. WE saw a hawk swoop down this afternoon, and I'm certain he took the chicken. I didn't think hawks would attack "fellow birds", but I was probably being naive. I also didn't think they'd attack during the day. What can I do to protect my girls, who roam freely in the yard during the day? Any suggestions?
Thank you for any input.

Hawks attack only during the day. Owls at night. And dozens of other predators attack night and day. Keep them in a protective run or accept the fact that you will lose them eventually to predators.

 

[featherz]

Hawks attack only during the day. Owls at night. And dozens of other predators attack night and day. Keep them in a protective run or accept the fact that you will lose them eventually to predators.

X2. And that hawk will be back today and keep coming back until the buffet is gone. I'd lock the girls up for a few days and then after that make sure they have lots of covered hiding spots.. I had a hawk attack last week but my roo fought it off. hawks are migrating out of here right now and I see so many of them that I keep the chickens in the covered run until I get home each evening, when normally they are out all day.

 

[chickortreat]

X2. And that hawk will be back today and keep coming back until the buffet is gone.

Not at my house.....