What is killing my chickens?

[vegetarianchick]

My thoughts were it was a possum since they do eat the innards. Coons will kill everything, not just one a night. I keep a TIGHT chicken house and lock up my chicky girls with a padlock that no coon can undo, every night without fail. They also have a large well protected pen to use to get away from daytime predators or if I'm going to be gone.
I think if it was an owl, the owl would take your entire chicken away and eat it elsewhere but I'm not positive on that. I trap with a live trap and have caught coons, possums a turtle, armadillo and several feral cats.
I don't think you should ever leave chickens unprotected at night if you want to keep them. I had coyotes at another place and I saw it climb the fence into my duck/geese pens at midnight on a stake-out one time. He took 1 bird every couple of nights until I put a tighter fencing. I even fence the ground under the fencing so nothing can dig under. The chicken house has a limestone screenings floor 5 inches deep and 2x4 boards around the base to keep digging predators out of the coop. My girls sleep a peaceful sleep.

 

[bburn]

Two racoons in one month.....gutted the chicken it could get to the first time. Dug in the only weak place in the coop the second time. Could not get that chicken out and tried to pull it through the hole it made and only managed to take the head. Third chicken was my broody hen on two eggs. Even ate the eggs.

Got the first racoon that got the first two birds on the third night. Had another that got the broody. Got that racoon also. Then two feral cats and one possum.

I am telling you now.....they can climb over, they can dig in and it will be a weak spot you did not even know you had. I am still setting the trap and will continue to. If I get the neighbors cat or dog I will just keep it for the day and let it be scared and then call and tell them to come get it. Maybe they won't want to come back. But anything else is a goner.

I have now double wired the top of my runs. I have buried wire all the way around two feet out and put the dirt back on and then crusher dust that gets pretty hard and packs down. Won't get as soft as the dirt turned to mud from the rains. I have looked at my coops and runs trying to have the mind of a predator wanting in and fixed anything I can find.

But leaving it open on top...never....both things that crawl over and things that fly in. I can't even stand to free range them unless I am out there too.

But your discription of what the chicken looked like was exactly what two of mine looked like. It's a bad deal.

We went a year with not one problem. And we live out in the boonies with woods all around us!

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
I agree with good ole boy. After dark go out with flashlight and shine about in and around area where birds being lossed. Look for eyes. I shine multiple times each night and dog wakes me when chickens make a racket. A point to consider is that chicken being attacked makes a great deal of racket and roosters in particular give warning calls when something is up, even after dark. So many losses these days due to our closing windows at night and not responding to calls for help.


If oppossum, then bump it off with whatever yard tools are handy. Racoon, then trap and shoot.

 

[aprophet]

Quote:
be careful handling them dillos they can carry leprosy

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
Another option that might be suitable for OP is a livestock guarding dog. My free-ranging flocks have stay in roosts that potentially accessible by a savvy fox or coyote but dog roaming property keeps those predators out. Owls easier to manage for with covering over and around perimeter of roost.

 

[animalpro24]

You most likely are dealing with a opossum or raccon. I would guess that if it were a fox it would have taken the bird with it. Coons and opossums are know for just killing and leaving. sorry.

 

[justtoni44]

Racoons left my chickens the way you describe.............
Hated them...such a waste, at least coyotes have a meal.
Have not had the problem in years but will always have it burned in my mind..........
Good Luck

 

[Okie Amazon]

Quote:
Then get used to dead birds.

 

[starrj3030]

I've always had one opossum here eating cat food at night: big greasy, crooked headed, narley, hit by a car-looking opossum I affectionately named "Cupcake"! He's never ever been a problem with any of my chickens before, and I'm talking 6 years minimum that he's been visiting us. Anyway, I do not believe for one second he's just suddenly changed his attitude toward my animals. I believe it's a newcomer that has discovered this place is one big smorgasbord. At the rate it's going, he'll be moving on real soon because there won't be anything else to eat!!

For the responders that feel like I better get use to dead chickens and the one that insinuated that I'm an irresponsible pet owner by not caging my animals - no, I'm certainly am not. We all choose to live how we want to live and see what we want to see. I want to see all of my animals eating together, which they do, intermingle, strutt their stuff and live to eat out of my hands. I sit on my front porch every single day and love to see them all coming around to see me and say hello - which if you're a pet owner you know that yes, they do say hello. All of my chickens, cats, kittens, dogs and horses get along in perfect harmony. So no, I'll NEVER get use to death here on the farm. Thanks for the sentiments though!

S

 

[Okie Amazon]

Quote:
Your animals do not make the choice, you make it for them. There's no reason they can't all intermingle and be a big happy family during the day. I have goats, calves, chickens, guineas and dogs and they are all out together at one time or another. BUT, when I go into my safe, warm, dry, sleeping/living space, I make sure my animals are secure in their own!