Well it finally happened

[MARANMAN2011]

OK two days ago i woke up went to feed chickens and find one of my 13 week old cuckoo roo with a broken leg no head and the but end eaten out of it. So I tightened everything up I thought. yesterday I woke up to check them and there is feathers everywhere I mean everywhere. They are from my 4 1/2 month old roo noone dead what could he have fought off and make leave. Im at a loss so I locked them up tonight hope not the wrong idea i cant find where anything is getting in. I hope they are not getting in coop first and then run. IDK

 

[RHRanch]

what kind of coop/run? Pictures?

 

[MARANMAN2011]

Everything is locked up i think now.

 

[Ole rooster]

Chicken wire again. When will it stop>

 

[tellynpeep]

Most likely a weasel. They are small enough to get through chicken wire. Check out this guide: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=18670

 

[Cetawin]

Quote:
*sigh* agreed...I will do it.

Ahem...what is getting you ask? Probably nothing or anything. Get rid of that Danged chicken wire and cover that entire thing with hardware cloth...1/2 inch openings no larger. Chicken wire serves only one purpose...keeping chickens in and nothing out.

Most likely a Coon is your predator. The roo did not fight it away, the roo got away. They reach in those openings and grab the bird...or they wiggled their front paws like fingers and the bird comes to investigate and gets grabbed. They rip heads off and eat the crop, or they rip pieces and limbs off or eat the rearend ...they are vicious. It will be back and kill everything there if you leave them like that. Lock them up at night and fix that pen.

Just to give you an Idea of what you are up against...that roo in the picture...a Coon can pull him through that chicken wire if he wants to and that is a horrid mess. Trust me.

 

[MARANMAN2011]

OK woke up this morning no casualties but I caught an opposim will he have done it idk. This was a quick trown togather mess the new one I build will not have any chicken wire i promise. Ive got a barn coming down. I have to look into hardware cloth. Hope I caught what the pest. Ill put the trap out again. Thanks all.

 

[Cetawin]

Possum could have done it but keep that trap set. Good luck and happy hunting.

 

[itom37]

Quote:
Agreed, but it is called chicken wire.

 

[theFox]

Quote:
Agreed, but it is called chicken wire.

It does a very good job of keeping chickens in or out of an area and thus rates the title chicken wire.

It is not good at keeping other things out.