UTTER TRAGEDY

[fowlweatherfriends]

Our chicken loss was a dog-I know for sure becuase the dog was caught red handed. A dog will not always make the kill bloody and gutsy. Chickens are usually a fun prey chase thing-not neccessarily food. Once the dog gets it and can do internal damage by the teeth gripping, it will consider the prey no fun and move on to chase more.

I absolutely know that scared chickens will run and not return-I speak from experience. If they are scared and being chased while scared they would have gone far far away in shear panic.

If you search most of the dog/coyote/raccoon attacks on this site it may help you determine your culprit. I'm guessing the roos were probably defending their flock and not backing down-hence their demise.

I am no expert and there will be lots who disagree and have opinions about what happened-including me. I am only problem solving from the aspect of having lived through a nearly identical attack.

PS: Since you lost more on a seperate day, most likely whatever it is will come back again and again till you are cleaned out. My dog attack was during the day also. Maybe you could use a "bait" chicken in a sturdy cage and wait for the varmit to come back...

 

[Nbird]

What happens if they all dispersed and flew or ran off? Will they try to get back together? Will they have a sense of direction? If they hear my one remaining rooster, will they try to head this way? Is there any hope or should I just assume they are all gone for good? How long can displaced chickens survive in the wilds of Minnesota? I feel terrible. My husband wants to order a new batch of 25 chicks, but I am devastated about this loss and can't think of it happening again! I think a guard dog might really be the answer. Anyone have one?

 

[fowlweatherfriends]

Yes-I have a guard dog...

 

[ivan3]

If some of the missing aren't too far away they might well wander back (here's to hoping).

Don't bother with a guard dog, invest in 6ft. welded wire fencing and run a couple of strands of electric fencing around that. Predator proof the run and only free range if you are there to supervise (.20ga/.22LR handy). Sure cuts down on the heartache.

Of course, preemptive trapping is also a good thing (will not entirely remove predators from area - but overall frequency of problems will decrease).

Take care and good luck,

John

 

[FingerLakesChick]

I'm very sorry for your loss. Please keep us posted.

 

[Whirlwind]

So sorry about your loss. Sounds like a dog to me. But you will never know for sure unless you see culprit or get a camera. A hawk got one of mine one day. The others scattered. Looked and looked for them. Finally found all but 2. And they were hidden very well in tall weeds and trees.Then I heard one of them, not far away just around the fence on my neighbors property. We had looked there 3 times already and missed her. She had no idea how to get back and probably wasnt 100 feet away. Then the last one turned up in my neighbors garage about 1 acre away. So he brought her home. She was my fav and I had given up on her. Boy was I relieved. She didnt know how to get home either. They run in such a panic. I would keep looking and if you have a way you call them to you or food bucket be sure to take that. Call them and then be quite, maybe they will talk back to you. Hope you find some more. A watch dog could be ok if thats all it does and dosent like chicken dinner. Again so sorry.

 

[chickbea]

That's just a terrible thing.
My flock was dispersed once following a dog attack, and they slowly straggled back. My favorite hen, Alice, didn't show up until I was closing the coop door at night.
I wouldn't discount dogs as the culprit in your tragedy - many retrievers and bird dogs have such soft mouths that they can easily kill and cart off bodies without leaving a feather - that is what they are bred for. If a young retriever isn't being kept busy by its owner, it will find ways to entertain itself.