What is Eating my Chickens?

[WhatTheFlock9]

Last week I had 16 chickens. Today I have 9.
Almost every night something has eaten 1-3 chickens.
And we beef up security every time.
We haven't had chickens for about two years. Our last flock of chickens were being eaten out of our coop. but with getting cold and egg production down, we decided to sell our few remaining chickens.
This spring we got more chicks and raised them in our barn. We made a small run with chain link fence to put them in last week.
Next morning a chicken was dead outside the fence, wings, feet, head, feathers. It was really picked over! But a few chickens got over the fence, so we thought one was out and fell prey to something prowling around. We put a top on. Next morning two chickens.
For our roof we had laid boards across so chickens wouldn't try to fly out. So we thought something had climbed up and over. So we put a tarp, so NOTHING could get in. Next morning another chicken. We were frustrated, but very busy, so we didn't do anything that day. Yesterday, two chickens. We thought something was pulling them threw the fence holes! (2.5"x2.5" chain link) So we lined the bottom of the fence to about waists high with chicken wire and plastic mesh.
This morning ANOTHER CHICKEN! How is something getting them out?! There is almost no sign of entry. There was one spot next to where the chicken was, that looked like something had tried to dig under, but it wasn't more then and inch clearance!! How is it getting in an almost completely sealed run, and getting them out?
Our thoughts were maybe rats? We are going to try to set up a camera, but any suggestions on what to try next?

 

[azygous]

A camera will solve your mystery. But chain link is large enough that weasel predator species can get through. Rats will get through, but they munch on the chicken, lots of times while the chicken is alive, and they won't try to run off with the kill. Possums will try to drag a chicken through the fence as will raccoons.

Climbers include raccoons, fox, and bob cats. I hope you can figure out what might be raiding your "meat market" and put a stop to it. There's also electric hot wire. That can solve a lot of problems.

 

[danceswithronin]

You'd be surprised what can get through an inch of clearance. Depending on where you live, I'd suspect a weasel or mink. To keep them from digging in you need to "skirt" the entire run with mesh wiring by burying a wire panel about six inches beneath the soil and bending it out in a sort of L shape all around the bottom of the pen. Then nothing can dig in.

The most secure fencing for a chicken run/coop is hardware cloth. It's a bit more expensive than regular wiring but it's tough (will not be ripped apart - many predators can rip through regular octagonal chicken wire) and things cannot be pulled through it.

 

[MeginTennessee]

Predators have been a BIG problem for me over the years, we live in a very rural area and if something eats chickens or rabbits,it's been in my yard and I've had to deal with it. I converted an old shed into a coop and besides my birds I also have bunnies in it, so it's a predator magnet. Can you post pictures of your coop and run? Are they locked inside their coop at night? From my experience that's the easiest way to start solving the problem, a sturdy coop that you can lock everyone into at night like fort knox. It's hard to completely predator proof the outside run so the coop is the best defense. You said you had boards and a tarp on top, are they screwed or nailed down? Raccoons and possums are smarter than you think, they can lift and open stuff and figure out door latches. I resorted to a hasp lock with a padlock on all my doors to guarantee nothing could open it up. I also have bells on the fence and doors to alert me or the dogs. Hardware mesh or chicken wire over vents, and over any windows that you can't close and latch shut. Look over every nook and cranny, especially if you suspect rats, we get them because of the grain silos out by the barns and any hole they can fit their heads into they can squeeze the rest of themselves into! Even a crack the size of a quarter! Staple hardware mesh over any you find, chicken wire doesn't really work because small rats (and snakes and minks) can get right through it, and they'll chew right through plastic. I'd make sure the top you put on your fence is securely fastened to each row on the chain link too, even an opening the size of a hand is enough for a small possum or a weasel to climb through! This may sound stupid and excessive but it worked for me, when you think you have it everything proof, sprinkle talc or flour nice and thick around the perimeter. Try to keep it as neat as you can, like a 6 inch wide line all around as close as you can get it is all you need. When something tries to get in, you'll at least see where it disturbed the powder trying to get in and if your lucky you'll see paw prints on the coop or ground. Wherever the powder is disturbed check that spot carefully and reinforce it. If your lucky and see prints you'll know what animal your dealing with and can do even more to deter it or catch it. I found BYC looking for ways to protect my flock, there's A LOT of great ideas! Now I keep one of my dogs next to my coop all the time and we're lucky to have a really good dog that has the run of the place and keeps watch at night. Like I said, I know it may sound excessive but once a wild animal finds that easy, free dinner every night they'll just keep coming back until you catch the animal or run out of chickens! Very best of luck to you!

 

[HomesteaderWife]

Make a wise investment if you don't already have one, and get yourself a game camera set up on that coop! Highly recommend Wildgame Innovations cameras. That is the next best thing to being able to identify the tracks and dig marks.