Well, there goes another one! Stupid animals! ADVICE SEEKING

[HenJo]

Gosh stupid animals keep getting a hold of my chickens. Tonight some animal go to my rooster ( little brother crying)

It's the 4th chicken (3 hens, 1 rooster) that has been killed by an animal. We always put them up every night and just o happens that we got too late into the night and no trace of the rooster but a small amount of feather 10 feet away.

Just an update on my Hen: The wounds have healed alot but there is still an odor of something like rotting. What is it and how can I get rid of it?

 

[ole-crone]

It's hard to get into the habit of making sure they're secure for the night - as soon as they go to bed. We've been playing roulette this fall because I've been lazy about getting out there while it is still a little light. Luckily, none of the preditors have realized that they are available.

If there are only some feathers, that suggests whatever it is, is large enough to carry off a chicken. Look into what lives around you and see if you can find some tracks. Another thing you can do is dress warm and sit quietly around dark to see - especially on a moonlit night. Once they figure they can come to your house for a meal, it won't take too long before you see whatever comes around.

 

[mypicklebird]

You need to fortify your pen. Also identifying what is taking your birds would help, stay up and watch, or identify how they/it is getting in can help you figure it out. If you find any remains- predators have patterns. Night time is usually raccoon, rats, bobcat, fox, coyote ect. Daytime is neighbor hood roaming dog(s), hawks, crows for small chickens, sometimes bobcats & coyotes. Are you in the city or the country?

If you have no pen, and your birds are free roaming (like mine are)- you simply have to lock them up before the local wildlife comes out. Meaning someone has to be there at dusk. If you are not around, arrange for someone else to do it. Simple as that.

If you have a local wildlife rescue place- they can actually be helpful to you to tell you what lives in your area as well as give you advice on how to exclude them. They like wildlife, and would like to help keep them from getting killed by angry poultry owners.

If something on your bird smells bad- there is bacterial infection and or dead flesh. Though sometimes matted feces around the vent can smell pretty bad. How to get it to go away? You need to inspect the bird and figure out where it is coming from. If it is the wound- it needs more care from you. IE- cleaning and medicating. There may be a spot you didn't know was there- check under the wings and around the legs.

 

[HenJo]

Can peroxide do the trick to making it smell bad? I poured 7 oz of it to clean and saline solution also.

 

[Mahonri]

Don't know if it will remove the smell, but it should help in the cleaning process.