We lost 11 layers last night....

[Parront]

They were scattered around the area. I am thinking it was dog(s). They weren‘eaten at all just dead
This is my question. We had 30, 8 are left and my husband counted the 11. Could the other 11 still be alive and roosted in the trees or Hiding in the cornfield? and if that is a possibility will they come home , how long will it take to see them? The coop is surrounded by woods and a corn field. I am sure they are scared and traumatized
thanks
Connie

Sounds like my old neighborhood in So. Cal. Neighbor's dogs that they would let out to poop in someone else's yard. That is what happened to some of my first flock. Put in a cement coop floor, they were digging under the fences and walls into my yard and coop. Go along your fences and look where they squeezed under the fence. This time around I got electric fence. Google Premier1 fence.

 

[Homesteadermomma6382]

I lost 8 of my chickens 2 weeks ago to fox. Between 930 and 1100 am. Took my large australorp/rir rooster, 4 of my layers and 3 of my tweens. We thought we had lost another of my layers but late in the evening she came wandering home. I'm sorry for your loss. It is devestating. I lost another flock to a weasel. It killed my entire flock and left them all intact. I live on the edge of the woods. Every year we lose a few before we out smart the new predator. Its a hard fact of life that never gets easier. The hardest was the weasel. At least i know with the fox my chickens died for a reason.

 

[birdlover2]

I lost 8 of my chickens 2 weeks ago to fox. Between 930 and 1100 am. Took my large australorp/rir rooster, 4 of my layers and 3 of my tweens. We thought we had lost another of my layers but late in the evening she came wandering home. I'm sorry for your loss. It is devestating. I lost another flock to a weasel. It killed my entire flock and left them all intact. I live on the edge of the woods. Every year we lose a few before we out smart the new predator. Its a hard fact of life that never gets easier. The hardest was the weasel. At least i know with the fox my chickens died for a reason.

Yeah, it's always the hardest when the predator just leaves them there, kills them and doesn't even eat them Even harder when it's a domestic animal that's fed well and just came to have some fun or killed because of instinct

 

[Ruthster55]

Sounds like a dog.

Make sure your run fencing is hardware cloth and is buried, skirted, or otherwise dig-proof.

 

[cmom]

So sorry for your loss. If you have a game camera, put it up because the predator will be back then you will know what your dealing with. Good luck...

I have had several chickens to predators. The fox doesn't even leave a feather. Takes the entire chicken home for dinner as does the bobcat and coyote. Dogs just have fun like they are stuffed animals. A Hawk and an owl will grab and go. A 7lb chicken is quite a haul, but i've seen them do it. A dog broke in my fenced yard in the afternoon while I let my chickens dig around my flower beds. Tossed 3 of mine all around. Broke their backs etc... He was so proud and didn't realize what he did was wrong. It was horrible. My best hen, Rosie hid. It took me an hour to find her. I carried her back to the coop and she hid for 3 days. I would be out calling chick, chick, chick, during the day time. I don't know why any animal would kill and only take some. I'm betting on them hiding up in the trees or deep grass.

A fox will leave feathers and they will carry the bodies off. I have had a fox during the day kill a bird then go back for another and another. It didn't carry them off but did keep killing. I did eventually eliminate it. I have pictures. I used the body of one of the birds it killed and it returned to the scene. Bad mistake. It was mangy and very stinky. A fox or about any predator can lurk and you never know it's there while they access everything looking for an opportunity.

 

[Flockincrazy]

We had something invade our coop a few yrs ago and scattered my poor chickens all over the place it took a week for everyone to come home so if they are still out there they will come home but don't get your hopes up

 

[Crs1]

it Has been 2 weeks since the attack and none of the missing chickens came home
We haven’t let any of the chickens out to free range since.

 

[Flockincrazy]

it Has been 2 weeks since the attack and none of the missing chickens came home
We haven’t let any of the chickens out to free range since.

So sorry

 

[birdlover2]

it Has been 2 weeks since the attack and none of the missing chickens came home
We haven’t let any of the chickens out to free range since.

I'm sorry to hear that That may be best. Free-ranging can be dangerous predator-wise. Maybe you could try an electric fence enclosing the areas were they most like to go and giving them plenty of room?? You could also try a properly trained herd dog, which may solve the problem if the perpetrators weren't dogs in the first place, or maybe even so since the dog may realize that your property is the other dogs territory. My dad once saw a dog fight another dog in defense of a cat

 

[cmom]

I have electric wire around my coops and pens and the predators know it's there. Over the years I have had a few predators test the wire but they don't do it a second time. Here most of the predators roam at night.