They've found us!

[LaurenRitz]

It seems the predators have found us. Two hens disappeared a few weeks ago. I never found any feathers, but these were my two best foragers, regularly ranging out away from the flock.

Tuesday something got one of my roosters, apparently in a tailchase as the largest amount of feathers included the tail feathers, then a trail of feathers leading toward the coop. He was a big bird (guessing around 8-10 pounds) and whatever it was took the body, so something pretty large.

Then last night I heard a chicken scream. I have two birds that absolutely refuse to roost in the coop, they roost on the roof so it was only a matter of time. I went outside and both of them were visibly ok, other than some missing feathers. I think that one may have been an owl. They're both in shock, scared to move, but when I approach the boy gets between me and his sister and stands up really tall like he's telling me to leave her alone.

 

[ChicNmom]

What are you doing to protect them from predators?

I would make the roof of the coop unpleasant to roost on so they go in the coop. Or put them in after dark so they can't go back out.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I would make the roof of the coop unpleasant to roost on so they go in the coop. Or put them in after dark so they can't go back out.

Once they're up on the roof I can't reach them. I initially thought the roof would be too slick (corrugated panels), but they don't seem to have a problem with it.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

How big is the coop in ft x ft, and how many birds live in it?

 

[aart]

How big is the coop in ft x ft, and how many birds live in it?

This^^^...and pics.

 

[LaurenRitz]

Footprint is 6x8 (or 6x12 -- 4 feet on the left end is a broody coop), it currently holds 3 adult hens and 17 chicks (I just released five 8 week cockerels from durance vile this afternoon). The 13 week cockerel and his sister have never slept in the coop since they were old enough to fly up on the roof.

These birds free range during daylight hours.

 

[Shadrach]

I would be more interested in seeing more of the land the chickens range on. From what little I can see in the picture above the land looks very bare of cover.

 

[LaurenRitz]

It is very bare. I'm working on that. There is a big tree over this coop, the other coop has a 20x40 covered area. They all spend a lot of time under the deck and under or around other structures (truck, water tanks, decks, barn/garage).

Hawks don't seem interested, they fly over, look, and drift away. The birds usually don't move away from cover except early morning and just before lockdown.

The rooster was killed in the main garden, which is wide open to the neighbor's yard. They forage over there all the time. He said he doesn't mind, but they also have a big dog so I try to discourage it. I hope the changes I made today will keep them out of that area, so one less risk.

 

[skeeeter]

Hi, My first suspect would be the dog.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Does the coop have any ventilation?