they're all dead, all 11

[bryan99705]

Quote:
Heather, ughhhhhhhhhh,........here I go....and I'm sorry.. I'm now going to have to go from compassionate to really upset on behalf of your defenseless birds. After that recent devastating loss, the remaining birds clearly were known to be not safe. They needed to be moved somewhere perfectly safe (I don't care where - basement, garage, the kitchen!) until their area was utterly and firmly secured. I know you said you are taking many precautions and I'm sure you are, but something is wrong since preds are still getting in. Please please don't get any more birds yet. Please post pics and descriptions of the improvements you make and I know BYCers will move heaven and earth to help you figure out if it's enough and what else may be needed. I know you don't want the birds getting attacked. Please let us help you.

JJ

x2

 

[jjthink]

With pics we could be more helpful.....
How many birds are left at this point?
JJ

 

[Heathero617]

Quote:
If this is directed at me...i have 9 chickens left. As far as pictures go, i've posted them all over the place, I need my roofing put on..soooooo unless you guys wanna come over this afternoon and hoist 4 sheets of steel shed siding up 10 ft and put it on for me, I really truely dont think you can help, other than to allow me to vent if need be, but apparently to some >another thread< i'm an idiot to believe i can do that here. Havent been part of this community very long, but that one single post made me second guess my membership.

 

[chicken crazed 1o1]

Im so sorry to hear that.

 

[jjthink]

Well, sorry to hear that as well. People are only trying to help you prevent more tradegy. Good luck.
JJ

 

[Heathero617]

Quote:
Unfortuantely it was a rude nasty comment had nothing to do with helping in any way. Just a personal "attack" if you will by someone who wanted to belittle me...at least thats the feeling i got. Ohh well, its over now, I wont let one rude ignorant person ruin my enjoyment.

 

[jjthink]

You may know this, and may have already taken care of it, but raccoons are amazing at reaching into small spaces and grabbing birds by the neck/head and pulling them toward them and the rest gets worse from there. Hardware cloth seems just about the only meaningful barrier as fencing goes...dog cage openings are generally too large and they can reach in. I can't visualize exactly what your set up is without pics but a raccoon came to mind when you described the deaths.....and then you also mentioned the telltale tracks....
JJ

 

[Heathero617]

Quote:
The raccoon(s) >if this is to me< got into the pen as it currently has no roof, it will next weekend. It pryed open the swinging hatch door to the interior of the coop where it proceeded to kill my hen and swipe 2 3 day old chicks and i'm assuming in the process the roo was trying to protect got the snot beat out of him and died 3 days later. I jammed the swinging hatch door tighter and made sure i, myself had a hard time opening it, the raccoon returned friday night and came over the top of my pen...currently not having a roof and STILL managed to get the swinging hatch door to the coop open and killed a cockerel and a poullet cochin. No sign of the cochin except a few feathers, and my cockerel was mangled about the head and a wing had been ripped up a bit. inside the coop this occured. Otherwise his body was unscathed. I have since screwed the danged hatch door shut >last night< and will continue to do so until i can figure out a door that a raccoon can not get open...perhaps a bank vault safe door? Once I get the roof put on my run ...next weekend..... things should be much better. The steel shed siding that is used at the bottom of the pen is over 4 ft tall....if a raccoon can rip a chicken up 4 feet from the ground while hanging on the outside of the pen...then that raccoon DESERVES a very gourmet cooked meal! But as i said, i have a trap to set tonight, the roof goes on next weekend and the chickens will be screwed into the coop every night from here on out. >picture me screwing chickens into a coop<

 

[bobbi-j]

Quote:
The raccoon(s) >if this is to me< got into the pen as it currently has no roof, it will next weekend. It pryed open the swinging hatch door to the interior of the coop where it proceeded to kill my hen and swipe 2 3 day old chicks and i'm assuming in the process the roo was trying to protect got the snot beat out of him and died 3 days later. I jammed the swinging hatch door tighter and made sure i, myself had a hard time opening it, the raccoon returned friday night and came over the top of my pen...currently not having a roof and STILL managed to get the swinging hatch door to the coop open and killed a cockerel and a poullet cochin. No sign of the cochin except a few feathers, and my cockerel was mangled about the head and a wing had been ripped up a bit. inside the coop this occured. Otherwise his body was unscathed. I have since screwed the danged hatch door shut >last night< and will continue to do so until i can figure out a door that a raccoon can not get open...perhaps a bank vault safe door? Once I get the roof put on my run ...next weekend..... things should be much better. The steel shed siding that is used at the bottom of the pen is over 4 ft tall....if a raccoon can rip a chicken up 4 feet from the ground while hanging on the outside of the pen...then that raccoon DESERVES a very gourmet cooked meal! But as i said, i have a trap to set tonight, the roof goes on next weekend and the chickens will be screwed into the coop every night from here on out. >picture me screwing chickens into a coop< http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa250/heathero617_2007/board/penwithsandfirstlayer.jpg

I'm sorry, but I have a picture in my head of you screwing their feet onto the roost!

Seriously, it sounds like you're doing the best you can and that's all a person can do.

Referring to a previous post, I'm glad you're not going to let one nasty rude person ruin your enjoyment. I think when dealing with people on the internet we have to be like ducks and let alot slide off our backs. It's so easy to be rude when one isn't looking the other person in the eye when making comments.

 

[jjthink]

Raccoons are incredibly determined and smart, aren't they? Were my feathered friends not in a fortress every night, I would worry about them more than most any pred. Except for dogs on the loose....
JJ