way too soon :(

[Lunawriter]

This morning I had six chickens. Now I have five.

I went out this morning to let them out of their coop, but first I moved their small run aside and shoveled the snow out of it so they'd come out since they've been avoiding it. I put the run back and opened the door, but I forgot to replace the board that covered part of the exit so they couldn't get out of the run. It was light out when I opened it, but it wasn't long after sunrise. I went out again early this afternoon, about five hours later and one of them had been killed in that window of time. I feel so bad for forgetting the darned board. I knew we probably had a lot of predators around here. Whatever it was didn't climb in through the opening to get any of the other birds. I'm guessing that chicken had just let herself out, but still, it didn't go in after the others.

The head was mostly eaten and the abdomen was half gone, too. I couldn't find one wing, but it might be out there blended with the snow. I guess it could have been done by a nocturnal animal just going in for the night (possibly into my barn somewhere--ugh), but like I said, the sun was up. I couldn't find any tracks but that area is pretty well trampled. Any ideas as to what predator it might have been? I guess I won't try free-ranging around here...

Forgot to add, I've had these chickens for less than a month--hence the "too soon". This is making me rethink all the animals I was going to get--like free range guineas this summer. So sad.

 

[ranchhand]

So sorry, it's a horrid experience.

Could it have been a hawk, since the hen got out? I have had to cover all my runs because of hawks. And that sounds like a hawk kill to me.

Perhaps you can find a way to change things, so you won't have to deal with the extra board.

 

[Lunawriter]

Thanks, Ranchhand. It definitely could have been a hawk. We have tons of them around here. I see them nearly every day. That was my first thought, but something I then read online made it sound like hawks mostly just ate the heads of chickens and not the body. In your experience they eat the abdomen, too, huh? That makes more sense to me. The head doesn't seem like enough, even for a hawk.

We do plan to redo the coop. My plan was to do a moveable hoophouse, but still possibly free range them during the day. This coop and the chickens were given to us by someone who couldn't keep them anymore. We wanted to wait for warmer weather to make any changes. The board was just a quick fix and works perfectly. I just don't usually have to move it so since I was in a hurry to get back inside with my little boys (ages 3 and 1 left coloring in their high chairs) I just forgot to do it. Next time I decide to take the run apart, even a little, I'll be much more deliberate and careful about putting it back together.

 

[b.hromada]

I'm very sorry to hear about your bird.

Its unfortunate, but these things happen sometimes.

Don't blame yourself, it was an accident.

 

[gsim]

Am afraid he will return now that he knows where a tasty easy meal is to be found. Just how secure is that board? A coon has hands with opposing thumbs and they are quite dextrous as well as strong, and are known to commonly operate latches and hooks easily.

 

[Lunawriter]

Thanks for the welcome, gsim.

The board is not very secure to the run, but they're only accessible from that area during the day. The coop itself is very secure at night. That's one reason I wondered what type of critter it might have been. I knew if it was a raccoon I was in trouble. But I would have thought a raccoon would have just climbed right in and grabbed the rest while he was at it since there was an easy way in. Is that not the case? What leads you to think it might have been a raccoon and not something else? Something in my description? We do have plenty of raccoons around here so it's a possibility (but we also have foxes, coyotes and so on--oy).

My husband bought a live trap today to put out there just in case it was a raccoon or an opossum. I just wish I knew. It's so frustrating! I hate to keep them shut in their tiny coop until it gets warm enough to try to make them something new. It's rock solid ice out there. Building a new run would be really difficult right now.

I will try to figure out a way to attach the board permanently, though, if I can. It's definitely all a bit jury-rigged at the moment.

 

[Redhead Hen]

I had a raccoon that started with my coop by taking just 1. The next day I was missing 4!! I only know it was raccoon because I have since seen the little bugger in my run! I now lock up my chickens and don't let them out until the sun is up, up ... you know? The first one that was taken was a roo and he crowed at my Husband (who leaves for work at 6 am) that morning. But he was dead by the time I went out there around 7am. So, now my birds are locked up until at least 7am. I too need to re-enforce my run, but locking up the flock has worked well in the meantime.