What kind of monster....?

[SamanthaBrown]

Hi all. As u can tell, I'm new here. As glad as I am to meet everyone,I hate the reason I've came here today. Not quit 2 weeks ago I started out with 15 hens and 3 roosters. this is my 1st time in my adult life having chickens. All wings were cut and they are in a nice size coop with a large fenced run (25x25) I started with the mistakes I'm learning from very quickly. 1st 2 hens went missing over the fence at night (owls?) I didn't close them in the coop at night. One hen just vanished and found the other crocus. (only feet and feathers,bones) Started closing them in and another just vanished. We then fixed all the places in the roof and anywhere anything could get in, making the coop impossible to get in. I come out this morning to feed and collect eggs and find a huge hole was torn out of the roof. 1 rooster dead but completely intact, 1 hen dead with only her head gone and one rooster completely disappeared. What in the world would rip off the roof to get my chickens and take one and kill 2 others ? I'm down to 12 and this has me puzzled.

 

[aart]

Raccoon?
What material is the roof?
More info on coop, pics are a huge help.

Oh and Welcome to BYC....sorry for your losses.

 

[Millworker26]

What kind of roof? Welded wire is the required strength to keep raccoon out. Netting, chicken wire etc won't cut it.

 

[illusionznc]

I have chicken hawks where I live and can't let mine free range. So, I have a barn with a large outside run covered by metal tin roofing. I use heavy gauge wiring to surround the outside for other predators like raccoons etc..nothing can get to them except mice, snakes etc...but they let me know about those. If something is getting them at night, then lock them in the coop until you can secure the roof with something stronger. Whatever you have just isn't strong enough to keep out whatever is attacking from above obviously. Just need a stronger material, like metal or thicker gauge mesh wire, but they need protection from rain/weather too. Can you take pictures?

 

[redsoxs]

My bet is raccoon. They are crafty and destructive devils. Sorry for your losses.

 

[Sea2Ski]

I bet racoon as well. Fix it fast, because whatever it is will be back every night until they can not get in, and even then you will get visits!

 

[gmfwlbrdr]

Coon,coon and more coon ,most chicken affiecanados despise them they are strong and grasp and reach and will pull tin back ,and chew threw nettin ,electric fence at lower levels on the area will,keep them at bay if built properly and kept up .

 

[SueT]

Also in addition to strengthening the coop, you could set a trap. We had raccoons trying to get in, set a trap and caught 2 on successive nights, and since then, no more attempts.