What is killing my chickens?

[spbaz]

We have free range chickens and lost 2 in 2 days, they seemed like hawk attacks to me because they were out in the open yard with the heads removed and the body of the chickens split open.
In an effort to protect the flock I put them in the run yesterday only to wake up to a dead chicken this morning within the run. The predator got inside the coop run. Same thing, this chicken kept her head but her body was opened up and most of it was eaten.
I have fixed the hole in the coop run and I will shut them inside the coop again tonight, but I am not sure what to do because I can’t figure out what is getting them!
Help!

 

[Blue Raptor]

Don’t use chicken wire, it will definitely not keep the animals out. We use fencing and it works really well, stapled into the posts with metal staples.

 

[The Kooky Kiwi]

Don’t use chicken wire, it will definitely not keep the animals out. We use fencing and it works really well, stapled into the posts with metal staples.

Cannot agree on this statement enough!
Chicken wire, with repeated pushing and testing, soon stretches and breaks.

Cost is always a factor - but I've found the best wire for longevity and strength is this stuff..

https://www.placemakers.co.nz/produ...cing-and-netting/generic/square-mesh-netting/

You can get it in various square sizes so you pick the size to exclude the predators you have.

Alternatively: Where you need to reinforce existing chicken wire then try a layer of good quality shade cloth (which you can attach cheaply with zip ties). I have this around all the netting in my chick grow out run - and in some places I have more than one layering where I want thicker protection (from both predators and wind).

 

[Moonchicken77]

We had a fox attack he got Craig my rooster who was a giant Brahma breed and blanch my favorite hen. I was devastated so I went to work! I got hardware cloth 3 feet tall and tacked it to the fencing. Our coup is fully enclosed with cattle fencing and chicken wire but the chicken wire is weak and predators go through it. I set 4 traps put up motion sensored lights that are solar powered on every side and I move them every week. I put human hair (sister in law works at a nursing home they donate it for a few dozen eggs) around the outside as well. That has done amazing for a year now! Now I have chicks that need to get started in the "teenage cage area" it's 12x12 dog kennel. So up went the hardware cloth around the bottom and the door to! I have cattle fencing across the top to stop chicken hawks and yes vultures! Well I move this pen around and a predator digging under is very real so here's what I found that works for us with the moving pen. I enclose it as stated above I have a 2 and a half foot small cattle fencing like 2 inch I think it is and at the 12 inch mark I bent it like a 90 degree angle. I attached this to the outside so if predators dig down they won't get through the fencing and it goes out almost 2 feet from the bottom edge of the coup! This way when we move it its ready to go and I watch so if I see digging marks or predator signs I take action! I love my birds and yes some make the dinner table but while I have them it's my job to protect them and I've watched videos read articles and tried many things and this is what works for us! I hope it helps and you don't lose anymore!
Side note Craig my rooster was huge he stood almost 3 feet tall and that fox well he's around but he's injured because sly as a fox is very real! I've stalked it and hunted it and I finally got my chance took the shot the turd heard me and they are fast! I did take out the tip of its tail so that is why I said injured. He is also a hybrid and huge! Fish and game have been out and told us to take it out if we can because they are dangerous. Cross bred with a wolf and the size of a shepherd so you can imagine how shocked we were to see it! If they are hungry they will hunt in the daylight but this one is a 345 am to 630 am hunter. Good luck!!

 

[FarmerGirl1010]

Here is something I found: "When you find a bird dead inside a chicken pen and run (or a coop, for that matter) with its head and crop missing, your visitor was a raccoon. If the head and back of the neck are missing, suspect a weasel or mink."

 

[spbaz]

I would guess raccoon or cat... have you had any other sightings from neigbors?

We live pretty far out in the country so we see a lot of wildlife. My husband saw a coyote crossing the road today. And I saw something that was a little bigger than a cat climbing a tree in our driveway last night.
We had a raccoon problem awhile back. I think a mink or a weasel seems like a likely candidate. Just not sure what to do about it? I don’t want to lose any more birds

 

[neo71665]

That sounds like a coon.

And yeah chicken wire is only good for creating a coffin for a chicken. It doesn't stop any predators.

 

[spbaz]

We had a fox attack he got Craig my rooster who was a giant Brahma breed and blanch my favorite hen. I was devastated so I went to work! I got hardware cloth 3 feet tall and tacked it to the fencing. Our coup is fully enclosed with cattle fencing and chicken wire but the chicken wire is weak and predators go through it. I set 4 traps put up motion sensored lights that are solar powered on every side and I move them every week. I put human hair (sister in law works at a nursing home they donate it for a few dozen eggs) around the outside as well. That has done amazing for a year now! Now I have chicks that need to get started in the "teenage cage area" it's 12x12 dog kennel. So up went the hardware cloth around the bottom and the door to! I have cattle fencing across the top to stop chicken hawks and yes vultures! Well I move this pen around and a predator digging under is very real so here's what I found that works for us with the moving pen. I enclose it as stated above I have a 2 and a half foot small cattle fencing like 2 inch I think it is and at the 12 inch mark I bent it like a 90 degree angle. I attached this to the outside so if predators dig down they won't get through the fencing and it goes out almost 2 feet from the bottom edge of the coup! This way when we move it its ready to go and I watch so if I see digging marks or predator signs I take action! I love my birds and yes some make the dinner table but while I have them it's my job to protect them and I've watched videos read articles and tried many things and this is what works for us! I hope it helps and you don't lose anymore!
Side note Craig my rooster was huge he stood almost 3 feet tall and that fox well he's around but he's injured because sly as a fox is very real! I've stalked it and hunted it and I finally got my chance took the shot the turd heard me and they are fast! I did take out the tip of its tail so that is why I said injured. He is also a hybrid and huge! Fish and game have been out and told us to take it out if we can because they are dangerous. Cross bred with a wolf and the size of a shepherd so you can imagine how shocked we were to see it! If they are hungry they will hunt in the daylight but this one is a 345 am to 630 am hunter. Good luck!!

I am going to have to pick up some of this hardware cloth, seems like the safest way to secure the fenced in area of our coop.
Thanks for everyone’s help!

 

[Geena]

He is also a hybrid and huge! Fish and game have been out and told us to take it out if we can because they are dangerous. Cross bred with a wolf and the size of a shepherd so you can imagine how shocked we were to see it! If they are hungry they will hunt in the daylight but this one is a 345 am to 630 am hunter. Good luck!!

Foxes cannot interbreed with wolves, coyotes or dogs.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

No, they can't breed. They're not closely related enough and their chromosome counts are incompatible