I read the sticky on identifying the preditor and am still stumped. I would appreciate some help figuring out what is killing the chickens and how to stop it.
First the set up : It is an old Hog farrowing house with pens raised 2' with cement under them. The Pens are 10' wide and 15' long. Each pen has grating on half the floor and cement the rest. The grating leads to a cement inclosed pit. The pens had 2 and a half foot tall railing ran all around. with a 3" gap under it. We ran chicken wire all the way around the outside of the three pens we where using. as well as up the sides making a 7' tall fence securing the top to the rafters at the top.
about a month ago we came out to a pen of dead chickens. 6 were missing intirely. the rest where piled up at the gate and one was pulled half through a hole in the wall we had nailed tin over, this one was missing its head. Others had bitemarks on there necks. We where told it was probably a weasel and set out traps and bait. We got rid of that pen as well as it was on the floor between the end of the other pens and outside wall of the building. We ran plywood around the outside of the pens coviering the 3"gap on the bottom. And for a month all has been safe.
Today I went out to find all 7 ee hens and new rooster dead. Poor Rocket! The only one alive was a rooster I had gotten at an auction and I think he had hidden instead of trying to protect his hens! The pen next to them The Rhode Island reds was a massacer 2 alive out of 16 hens 1 rooster and one barred cochin bantam hen. All these hens where lined up against the fence that led to the EE pen. They had been tried to drug under the railing back to the EE pen. And one was up against the front of the pens where it had tried to drag her out.
The third pen The Barred rock pen only three of 10 hens killed and the RIR rooster we had in there killed as well. These three hens where all up towards the front of the pen. The rooster was in the nest box dead. The side of his face bloody.
We are only missing one RIR hen. The rest are there but dead.
There are tears in the chicken wire in front of the EE pen. Like something grabbed it pulled and maybe chewed? Three or four holes. But I dont think it got in that way. it looks like it went around to the side and climbed up the nextbox and under the wire. We should have stapled it down to the box maybe. Once it was in there I think it just went under the railings to the next pen and the next.
We moved what few chickens remained to the BR pen. And put boards all around the outside of it covering all holes. The front we covered with tin.
We plan to put a large dog with a large bark down there tomorrow. But would like to know what is doing this and if there is anything else we should be doing.
Thanks in advance for all the help
Melissa
First the set up : It is an old Hog farrowing house with pens raised 2' with cement under them. The Pens are 10' wide and 15' long. Each pen has grating on half the floor and cement the rest. The grating leads to a cement inclosed pit. The pens had 2 and a half foot tall railing ran all around. with a 3" gap under it. We ran chicken wire all the way around the outside of the three pens we where using. as well as up the sides making a 7' tall fence securing the top to the rafters at the top.
about a month ago we came out to a pen of dead chickens. 6 were missing intirely. the rest where piled up at the gate and one was pulled half through a hole in the wall we had nailed tin over, this one was missing its head. Others had bitemarks on there necks. We where told it was probably a weasel and set out traps and bait. We got rid of that pen as well as it was on the floor between the end of the other pens and outside wall of the building. We ran plywood around the outside of the pens coviering the 3"gap on the bottom. And for a month all has been safe.
Today I went out to find all 7 ee hens and new rooster dead. Poor Rocket! The only one alive was a rooster I had gotten at an auction and I think he had hidden instead of trying to protect his hens! The pen next to them The Rhode Island reds was a massacer 2 alive out of 16 hens 1 rooster and one barred cochin bantam hen. All these hens where lined up against the fence that led to the EE pen. They had been tried to drug under the railing back to the EE pen. And one was up against the front of the pens where it had tried to drag her out.
The third pen The Barred rock pen only three of 10 hens killed and the RIR rooster we had in there killed as well. These three hens where all up towards the front of the pen. The rooster was in the nest box dead. The side of his face bloody.
We are only missing one RIR hen. The rest are there but dead.
There are tears in the chicken wire in front of the EE pen. Like something grabbed it pulled and maybe chewed? Three or four holes. But I dont think it got in that way. it looks like it went around to the side and climbed up the nextbox and under the wire. We should have stapled it down to the box maybe. Once it was in there I think it just went under the railings to the next pen and the next.
We moved what few chickens remained to the BR pen. And put boards all around the outside of it covering all holes. The front we covered with tin.
We plan to put a large dog with a large bark down there tomorrow. But would like to know what is doing this and if there is anything else we should be doing.
Thanks in advance for all the help
Melissa
