The Middle Tennessee Thread

[CityGirlintheCountry]

I thought about dogs and cats. My neighbors let their dogs run free, but it hasn't been a problem in 4 years. My dogs are about 25' from the coops/runs and generally their barking and dog smell deters other dogs. Plus, if it was dogs why would it have only been that pen and not the other three. Those birds were the oldest and toughest. They were hard to phase.

There are random cats around. I have two outside that have taken up residence, but both are really mellow and hang out at the coops with me when I'm doing chores. Most of these chickens were brooder raised in the house and they grew up with cats napping on top of the brooder. The older group wasn't even remotely scared of cats. Hamlet the rooster routinely took them on when he thought they were too close. Even those hens were known to peck the cats on the head. I'm not sure if cats would have scared them. If a cat had been attacking and killing I would think that the bodies would have been scattered everywhere.

Those runs all have 7' walls. The bottom 3' is hardware cloth and the top 4' is chicken wire. The tops are covered with netting, although that is degraded and needs to be replaced. Whatever did it either went over the top or came through a tiny hole.

Neither trap was disturbed last night and the bait is still hanging.

 

[emmalynn]

Anne,
I was running through posts and saw yours. I had to log in instead of just lurk. I am so sorry to hear about your birds. The blacks I got from you are over at DMRippy? (if I am wrong please correct me). Possible to get eggs from there? Did whatever get the Wellies too? If so, I will get you more eggs. They have been hiding the nest around the house but I will pen them up to get some.
Lori

Hey everyone!

 

[DMRippy]

Lori.... I still have them.

 

[Texokie1]

Anne - I am SO sorry to hear about your birds. It wasn't that beautiful Easter Egger rooster was it? I LOVED him! (I was actually planning on trying to convince the hubby to let me buy one of your EE roos out him to breed to our EE hens this spring...) I would think it was a dog (since they weren't eaten), but would a fox kill for fun, too?

 

[Raven1]

So sorry Anne! Hate to hear this. I hope you get what ever it was!

 

[Countrypunk92]

My neighbor has had bad bad luck with chicks.. she told me a time one silkie went broody, and went out one morning about a week after they hatched and all of them was stacked in a corner dead.....she thinks a coon.

 

[Cinny]

Donna.....my maran isn't laying yet, her comb is still pale for one thing....but she "talks" all the time, is that normal? She makes more noise than the rooster!

 

[pickledchicken]

Donna did you ever get any Black Orps ?

 

[Cinny]

I thought about dogs and cats. My neighbors let their dogs run free, but it hasn't been a problem in 4 years. My dogs are about 25' from the coops/runs and generally their barking and dog smell deters other dogs. Plus, if it was dogs why would it have only been that pen and not the other three. Those birds were the oldest and toughest. They were hard to phase.

There are random cats around. I have two outside that have taken up residence, but both are really mellow and hang out at the coops with me when I'm doing chores. Most of these chickens were brooder raised in the house and they grew up with cats napping on top of the brooder. The older group wasn't even remotely scared of cats. Hamlet the rooster routinely took them on when he thought they were too close. Even those hens were known to peck the cats on the head. I'm not sure if cats would have scared them. If a cat had been attacking and killing I would think that the bodies would have been scattered everywhere.

Those runs all have 7' walls. The bottom 3' is hardware cloth and the top 4' is chicken wire. The tops are covered with netting, although that is degraded and needs to be replaced. Whatever did it either went over the top or came through a tiny hole.

Neither trap was disturbed last night and the bait is still hanging.

So sorry to hear about your chickens......that is horrible and I can only imagine how hard it was for you to go out and find them. I can't give any answers, I think I'm too urban to run into anything like that....I hope you find the culprit soon and don't loose anymore. Have you tried calling a company like "critter control" to see if they have any ideas what might have done this? They might at least give you an idea of what to look out and protect your chickens from.

 

[pickledchicken]

I have 4 Black English Orpingtons for sale. One cockerel and three pullets about 5 weeks of age