WHAT pulls a chicken out through the coop fence ?

[Murrmade]

I am definitely sure now that it is a hawk that has taken your chickens. I have 1/2x1/2 wrapped around my coop. I Wrapped it around after loosing a chick to a hawk. I almost lost another chicken to a hawk today that was chasing around our chickens that were roaming but luckily my son and dog chased it off before it could grab one. Took us awhile to find all of the chickens, they are GREAT at hiding.

 

[Carolyn]

I have had enough experience with predators to know you can't always figure it out and regardless of the "rules" animals don't read the books. Someone said racoons are nocturnal. I have seen them in broad daylight at various times of the day in my yard pre and post getting chickens. Ditto owls and foxes.

I lost nearly an entire flock in one day while I was at the emergency room, there were different manners of killing. We caught or shot a fox, a feral cat, racoons and opossums within 24 hours. The killings took place in broad daylight. I had never lost a chicken up until then unless it decided it was going to camp outside the coop at night.

I highly recommend an electric net fence, at least 48" high if you live around a lot of predators. You will still need to have some protection from hawks and owls. Make sure the fence works, for example they don't conduct properly during very dry weather unless you water the ground wire. You will still need a plan to keep small birds within the fence.

If a bob cat has been seen in your yard, around your chickens concurrent with chickens getting killed consider him a prime suspect regardless of the MO. Yes, do contact the guy who can trap him! If it is not a predator it will likely soon be.

A web cam will help you figure out who visits your area at night.

Hope you get your set up fixed soon and you don't loose anymore. It is such a bummer to loose them.

 

[mrpekinduck]

Raccoons can reach through chicken wire and tear off pieces of chickens. Raccoons can also tear right through chicken wire so I would cover the whole coop in hardware cloth.

 

[EM Squared Farms]

Quote:
Hmmm.....Hawk, huh ? I know some birds of prey are huge ! (like the golden eagle)

My husband thought it was the bobcat because the fence is pretty saggy. He figured out that the bobcat just jumped right up there (6' tall) and waited there early in the morning and as soon as the chickens came out and flew up to that roof, he got them.

He even posted guard on Sat. and Sun. morning early with his gun. No sign of him in our yard. But he was thinking it got the neighbor's chickens. He heard her chickens make quite a ruckus, the donkey too. Like those warning cries when they see a predator flying by.

Our chicken coop is under a huge oak tree. I've seen a bald eagle once around here. I don't think it could reach through the fencing on the top. It's like a good 2 ft. or so from the roof to under the fence roof of the pen.

This morning I went out 1/2 hour earlier than normal to check for the bobcat. No sign of it. The chickens were already out by 7:30 am.

Will try and get up early tomorrow again.

We finished up the new coop. All those Ameraucana cockerels are safe and sound in their new pen. There is only 1 Ameraucana cockerel left in that one pen that the bobcat got through the roof and dropped it. He's recovering from being picked on (missing a few feathers on the back of his head, so much that he sticks his head in the other pen to prevent the others from pecking the back of his head). Now he has the whole pen to himself.

No news is good news ! All bottom borders are now secured with either chicken wire fencing or rabbit fencing/hardware cloth, over the pen fencing of 2" x 4" rectangles.

I'll keep you guys posted....

 

[EM Squared Farms]

Quote:
Now that's a good idea !! A webcam with infrared vision. That would be perfect.

We'll it's been 3 days of no chickens dying due to a predator.

Yeah, I did talk to the bobcat trapping guy. $150 to trap a bobcat and $35 for a raccoon. I'm not so fond of electric fencing (b/c of my kids) or the traps (b/c of my pets).

It wouldn't hurt me to get up a little earlier and get some stuff done (water the plants, fill the waterers for my son, weed the garden after we plant it, other yard chores).

I do try and go out more often also to "patrol" besides my usual rounds after lunch to feed the fish.

I would have more ease of mind after that bobcat is dead. I fear for my baby goats.

I don't think birds of prey are a problem since all tops of the coop are fenced in.

You guys can check out pics on our website: Look at the Chicken Coops page (plus I do want to show off our newest pen that has taken forever to finish !)

Thanks everyone !

 

[EM Squared Farms]

Quote:
Yeah, sounds like a good idea, but sounds expensive too. Our coops are pretty huge.

Plus we do like to feed grass through the rectangles.

We do have 1 dog (hound/lab mix) and 3 cats running around. I've never seen a raccoon during the day. But I do see some glowing eyes at night. We've had posssums come around when we had the cat food outside on the back porch. Now the cat food is back inside. And I know there were a few, because they had no fear. My husband shot one but I know I saw some different ones (different sizes and different colors).

So far, it's been a couple peaceful days. Hopefully we've discouraged the predator a little and it's gone after easier prey (our neighbor's free ranging chickens). Our other neighbors down on the corner have chickens too.

I'm pretty sure my husband is done spending $ on the chicken coops.

I know I'm done tacking up fence for a while (after this weekend).

Hopefully I won't have any more predator news to report.

 

[Gresh]

I read a book that said that raccoons can pull a chicken through wire, if the wire's big enough. Or, rather, they can kill a chicken through the wire. What they do from there is dependent on how big the openings in the wire are.
Very sorry to hear about your loss. We've had coon problems too but not lost a bird....yet, that is.

 

[EM Squared Farms]

Quote:
Hi ! Thanks for your sympathy. Hope you never lose a bird !!

I've been getting up early in the morning now (on bobcat patrol). Guess my husband can set a good example. I don't go out with the gun though. I just get up early to get some extra work done. Today I was up at 7:15 am and moved 5 wheelbarrows full of aged compost pile/burn pile material for the garden. I think I have 2 more wheelbarrows to do tomorrow. I get the watering done (moved some new plants outside of our new chicken coop to hopefully grow and provide shade in the evening hours when the sun is setting on the west side of the pen). In FL, it's still hot anytime there is sunlight !

My neighbor just mowed his field today, so hopefully the bobcat won't feel so secure running through a short grass field. No tall grass to hide in anymore. And my neighbor is a sharp shooter !!

So far so good. It's been 5 days free of any predators ! I think getting up early is a good thing. It's cool out, peaceful, and I need to dedicate that time for garden work. We're going to plant this weekend. I'm going to put down a lot of hay, but if I have the time, I can stay on top of pulling out weeds faster than they can grow. It's when you get lazy, that they get out of control.

How did you take care of your raccoon problems ? I'm sure we have lots of predators around, but usually the chickens go to be in their houses and are safe.
I'm sure there are still raccoons and possums around. And coyotes run by sometimes, I can hear them yipping in the middle of the night.

My cats are good hunters. Some pet left a headless wild mouse (field mouse - has the same color fur as a wild rabbit) in our study this morning. Lovely, huh ?

No news is good news !

Updated pics on our website today (Ameraucana cockerels on the for sale page, Ameraucana pullets on the Ameraucana Bantams page, goat pics and new assorted bantams for sale). Need to take a new pic of the chickies, or maybe I'll start weekly pics instead of daily pics. (for those of you following what goes on at our farm through our website !)

Thanks again for your post. So curious how you took care of your raccoon problem. I've heard all sorts of things (things even involving antifreeze !).

 

[VA6]

Just had 4 laying hens killed last night. 2 were pulled through the 2" x 4" fencing of the coup. 2 were still in the coup with their heads eaten off. It reached through the fencing to get them. I have no idea why all 4 chickens got that close to the fencing. Not too bright. Set up a security camera, a light, and a motion detector that I wired to a light in my bedroom with a 100' extension cord. Tonight, the bobcat came back. 12 gauge from my bedroom window. Giving it to my friend who does taxidermy. It will make a good mount. I will be covering the whole coup with 1/2" hardware cloth and starting over with new chicks. Live and learn.