Thought my chickens were secure

[Gingerlilypad]

I tried to make my chicken pen secure. I thought I had managed to do it. I found out this morning that I was wrong. Luckily I only lost one of my little babies, but it still hurts. She was one of the tamest ones, would eat out of my hand and sit on my foot while I was feeding and watering.

I have a chain link dog pen with 1X1 wire around the bottom. I am thinking coon because her head was through the wire. I will be borrowing a live trap to set up. I know once a coon discovers a pen of chickens, they don't just go away. And coons are good with gravy. (yes, I eat coon).

So today I am going to have to do something to make my coop more secure. I think tin or plywood around the bottom of the pen, since I have some from an old shed I tore down. It is hard for both me and my husband to do things like that due to disabilities, so hoping the neighbor kids will help. If not, then I will probably catch up my babies and put them inside a dog crate at night until I can get it done. I plan to run an electric wire, but can't afford the charger yet.

I know I still have my other 9 like her, my guineas, my pair of bantams and their 8 biddies, but well darn it, it was more than just a chicken. And yes I am being silly and crying about it.

 

[Inkheart]

Sorry to hear about your loss - it is always tough . I have to say the only time that happened to me it turned out to be a mink - But also sounds like raccon. A friend told me once where there is live stock there will be dead stock - i know it still hurts tho .....very sorry

 

[teach1rusl]

Is your pen covered on top?? Coons will climb right over if not. Sorry about your chick

. Hope you're able to get help in securing your run better...

 

[Gingerlilypad]

Quote:
Yes covered on top, with wire as well as being under a tin covered pole shed. Neighbor kids can't help today, so I am going to catch them up tonight and keep them inside in a dog crate.

 

[colebarnhart]

The problem is possiums and coons have really small but very strong human like hands and are able to reach thru wire and 1x1 is still too big, you gotta go smaller, sorry

I wouldn't waste money on a trap or your time, because you'll never trap and kill all the predators, sorry it's just not possible, and you really wouldn't want to. Below is what I just posted on someone elses thread about feeling bad about trapping and having to kill cute baby predators



STOP the madness and trapping, killing and/or relocating and instead just better secure your coop/run!!!! I trapped and killed my fair share and realized that it's an endless process, not to mention predators kill and eat other predators, i.e. raccoons and possiums eat rats and snakes. Once I put up hardware wire around my run, I haven't lost anymore chickens and I stopped having to deal with hassle of trapping and killing.

What are you going to do when you catch a skunk and then get sprayed? What if you catch something that has rabbies and then bites you? How fun will that be? If you read all the posts about predator problems, the vast majority are always due to poor coop/run construction. People using chicken wire (like me), forgeting to close a door, or letting the flock free range, or not having a covered coop/run, it's always the same crap. If the predators can't get in during the night, they'll move on and go find something else to eat that is easier to get.

 

[theFox]

No holes anywhere more than one half inch.

 

[wvfoxhunter]

The electric fence should keep it out especially if you put one around the bottom of the pen and then one about 6 inches above that.