We lost all our girls :(

[TheChickenCameFirst]

Quote:
It does feel horrible... it was terrible finding them that way.

Wow, you have a bold fox! My neighbors lost all their chickens to a fox a couple years ago, so we knew we had those... and I think the coop is good against them. It's something small, we still think a weasel. I can't imagine a raccoon small enough to fit where this thing is going in. We have set a trap inside the coop, a medium havaheart, in case it's a coon, and a weasel box my husband so lovingly made for me when he came home late last night! We baited the box with sardines in case it is a weasel.

So, hopefully were covered, no luck last night but we'll see! It seems to come back every couple of days. I just hope it does even though there are no more chickens. I want to get this thing!

Thanks to all for your comments... it makes me feel better knowing I'm not the only one dealing with this sort of thing!

 

[ThinkingChickens]

You have to get more, for your daughter at least. Show her that when life hands you lemons you make something of it. Show off your new babies when you get them.

 

[MammaBear]

So sorry!!!

 

[Mattemma]

So sorry for your loss! I would get more. Set traps daily. I got a trap last week for groundhogs and I have gotten 2 groundhogs,2 coons,4 possums,and 2 squirrels. I had no idea there was so much lurking in my yard.

1089 havahart from homedepot $45.Held up to a seriously annoyed coon last night and this am!

Hugs!!!!

 

[southerndesert]

Sorry for the losses, but unfortunately this is experienced in keeping chickens. I too say rethink the security of your coop, etc. and fix, then get more. I am now 55 and can not even begin to count the losses I have seen over the years for various reasons including, predators, disease, children and pets....

 

[TheChickenCameFirst]

Quote:
Yes, I shall get more! As time goes on, it's easier to deal with the loss... it's just a bit fresh! I can't wait now to get more. We knew when we started this whole endeavor that we would lose some chickens, it's just we didn't expect to find them that way. It was hard. We will be doing everything we can to make sure there are NO openings in our coop big enough for anything other than AIR to pass through.

I will be SURE to show of my new ones when I get them.

Thanks everyone!

 

[TexGardenGirl]

Quote:
It does feel horrible... it was terrible finding them that way.

Wow, you have a bold fox! My neighbors lost all their chickens to a fox a couple years ago, so we knew we had those... and I think the coop is good against them. It's something small, we still think a weasel. I can't imagine a raccoon small enough to fit where this thing is going in. We have set a trap inside the coop, a medium havaheart, in case it's a coon, and a weasel box my husband so lovingly made for me when he came home late last night! We baited the box with sardines in case it is a weasel.

So, hopefully were covered, no luck last night but we'll see! It seems to come back every couple of days. I just hope it does even though there are no more chickens. I want to get this thing!

Thanks to all for your comments... it makes me feel better knowing I'm not the only one dealing with this sort of thing!

My condolences as well. We've lost our share to predators, usually hawks when they're out in the daytime, but have lost one at night - we had a gap between the wire and the studs almost 6 feet up at the corner of two walls. I didn't even know there was a gap and even once I found it, it seemed no bigger than housecat size, and a small cat at that. But I'm pretty sure it was a raccoon. The chicken was actually in a cage inside the coop (this was our holding coop for roosters to be processed soon), and his neck was between the bars of the cage, with the head missing, like it had reached in and grabbed him and just pulled his head off. Not typical cat behavior, but it is typical coon behavior, and I'm pretty sure we don't have weasels or any of the other small predators, but we do have lots of raccoons. I guess can squeeze through tight spots as well as cats can.
Seal up your holes and try again, chickens are worth it.

 

[TheChickenCameFirst]

Quote:
It does feel horrible... it was terrible finding them that way.

Wow, you have a bold fox! My neighbors lost all their chickens to a fox a couple years ago, so we knew we had those... and I think the coop is good against them. It's something small, we still think a weasel. I can't imagine a raccoon small enough to fit where this thing is going in. We have set a trap inside the coop, a medium havaheart, in case it's a coon, and a weasel box my husband so lovingly made for me when he came home late last night! We baited the box with sardines in case it is a weasel.

So, hopefully were covered, no luck last night but we'll see! It seems to come back every couple of days. I just hope it does even though there are no more chickens. I want to get this thing!

Thanks to all for your comments... it makes me feel better knowing I'm not the only one dealing with this sort of thing!

My condolences as well. We've lost our share to predators, usually hawks when they're out in the daytime, but have lost one at night - we had a gap between the wire and the studs almost 6 feet up at the corner of two walls. I didn't even know there was a gap and even once I found it, it seemed no bigger than housecat size, and a small cat at that. But I'm pretty sure it was a raccoon. The chicken was actually in a cage inside the coop (this was our holding coop for roosters to be processed soon), and his neck was between the bars of the cage, with the head missing, like it had reached in and grabbed him and just pulled his head off. Not typical cat behavior, but it is typical coon behavior, and I'm pretty sure we don't have weasels or any of the other small predators, but we do have lots of raccoons. I guess can squeeze through tight spots as well as cats can.
Seal up your holes and try again, chickens are worth it.

I agree, they are worth it! Sorry about your roo... that would be awful to find...

I will be looking into getting some new little ones soon, and I can't wait!!

 

[SycamoreChickens]

My condolences to you.

 

[Oregonchickenwoman]

Sorry to hear about this. I have actually seen racoons in our neighbors yard come in and get them this way, this is almost signature racoon behavior.

We started from day one locking our hens in at night, it is the only way to keep them safe. We open the hen door at the crack of dawn, and once they have themselves in at dusk, we close them in for the night, including a latch only human fingers can open. So far we have not lost one but to a daytime hawk attack on one of our two banty pullets.

My best friend and her husband took it one step further, they put orange construction netting over the large run on theirs to keep birds of prey out, ours are free rage on several acres and we cannot net it all, just provide plenty of safety zones (trust me older hens know exactly what to do, hunker down against or under something).