The majority of my flock killed in one night

[mxp]

How secure is your coop and lot?A weasel can get through a hole as big as its head.Raccoons can tear into a chicken wire fence and the only way to stop them is to totally secure your lot with an electric fence all around.After mine was killed I ran a electric fence all over my lot and added a 30 mile charger to all that.Plus I installed an apron of two inch wire all around the lot out to 18 inches and spiked it down.I have had no more problems so far and hopefully I won't.I understand how you feel after seeing your birds destroyed like that.

 

[odswartz]

I had 1 adult speckled Sussex rooster, 1 adult speckled Sussex hen, 1 adult sapphire gem hen, 1 adult buff orpington, 1 adult sapphire gem / speckled Sussex cross, 1 adult orpington / Sussex cross, and 6 nearly fully grown wyadottes bullets. They free ranged in my yard and get put up at night. I have the flu and didn't put them up last night. I just let them roost on a little structure I built for them to keep them out of the weater.

I woke up this morning to find all 6 of my waydottes missing and my orpington, Sussex, and sapphire gem / Sussex cross all missing thier heads. They were just laying out in the yard missing their heads. They weren't near any fencing that a racoon could have pulled thier heads through, and there is no way an owl could have eaten 6 wyandottes plus the heads of 3 hen. Anyone have any idea what could have killed the majority of my flock last night? Has anyone ever heard of a massacre on this level?

Yes. Out of 16 chickens, five of mine survived. I lock them up at night but they have a small opening in hardware cloth to an eclosed area that, to my forever shame and regret was not completely secure. Something Big forced its way (the sides of the hardware cloth were bent around the opening-1/4 inch hardware cloth) through the opening and the chickens were trapped. We have raccoons. A mother made a nest with her kits in the unfinished part of my basement.. I think it was her and them.

 

[Coffetym]

Sounds like it’s past time for feeding the local predators with a little medicinal additive!

 

[odswartz]

Sounds like it’s past time for feeding the local predators with a little medicinal additive!

Yes. Unfortunately they've changed the formula for"Golden Malrin". Now it doesn't kill anything; not even flies.

 

[Coffetym]

Yes. Unfortunately they've changed the formula for"Golden Malrin". Now it doesn't kill anything; not even flies.

Well, that really cruddy!