weasel!!

[tammy m]

I always lock up my chickens every night. They have a solid stick built house. One morning when I went to open them , Robin and Barbeque jumped out in a frenzie and when I loved in I seen the other 9 chickens dead including 2roosters. Broke my heart!!! Couldn't figure it out until I read some info on line. Their bodies were all placed in a perfect row which indicates a weasle. And the only hole I had was about 2x3inches. Now I only have two left and they were in shock for quite a while. That's when I joined back yard chickens. I put them in a smaller pen and weasle proofed it. I will get more in the spring hopefully. So make sure you don't have any holes for weasles to get in. They kill just to kill. Tammy

 

[Y N dottes]

OMG, how horrible...im so sorry.
btw....welcome to BYC

 

[Vickilynn45]

That's so sad. What an awful thing to happen and I'm so sorry.

 

[landofmarmots]

Same thing happened to us this morning!
Two headless birds, my favorite astrolorp one of them.

We live in Lakewood, Colorado, and had built what we thought was a predator-proof hen house, the largest opening in the mesh perhaps 4 inches wide. Knew we were protected against foxes, coyotes and raccoons. No obvious sign of entry, so it had to be something small enough to squeeze through those bars. Also knew we had weasels & mink in the foothills, but not the city. Am now putting fine screen mesh around entire coop.
Tammy, sorry for your loss, and am glad you started this thread.
Margaret

 

[landofmarmots]

PS. Terrified remaining chickens are currently in my basement!

 

[tammy m]

Im so sorry for your loss also. I cried for three days. I love my chickens. And it was the week before my 11 year old son was scheduled for open heart surgery. So that even made me more sensitive. I thought my pen was safe also but I now know , no holes bigger than 1inch and make sure they can't chew it. Good luck. How many did you loose altogether?

 

[landofmarmots]

Hi Tammy - we lost two out of our five, and my kids were at school when I found them, so I get to break that news this afternoon.
I try not to get too attached to the chickens, but when they have names.....

Being at the bottom of the food chain, I expected them to become prey at some point - but it caught me off guard that they were killed inside the coop, and the killer had vanished.
Keeping it in perspective, your son will be in my thoughts, and hope that all goes well. Please update us.
Margaret

 

[KnobbyOaks]

Margaret and Tammy, welcome to BYC

I'm so sorry for the losses you both have had. From what I understand, you really need to have 1/2" hardware cloth on all sides. Since raccoons have little hands with thumbs, they will stick their hands through the fencing and grab the chicken's head and pull it through the fence hole as far as they can, and that's what they get. As long as you're going to redo it, you might want to consider the 1/2" hardware cloth at least 2' up the sides and of course, use some sort of netting over the top to block hawks and owls. The stories at this forum are just ripe with stories like yours. Good luck.

 

[tammy m]

Thank you. That's a great idea. My house I lock them in is solid built with wood. I put a 2x4 chunk in the hole they got into. No problems now.thanks

 

[tammy m]

I will. Thank you!