What to do after a predator attack

[Callender Girl]

I am very sorry for your loss. It's heartbreaking and easy to blame yourself when a predator kills your birds. The fact is, few if any chicken keepers never lose a bird to a predator, no matter how secure your set-up or how vigilant you are.

Now, the focus needs to be on keeping your remaining girls safe, and yes, they will be traumatized for a while. It's possible they will be skittish, wary and act out in unexpected ways. The good news is, eventually, they can recover.

I had one hen who survived a mink attack that killed all of her coop mates. It took some time, but Honey settled down, made new friends and became her sweet self again.

Take care of the survivors and yourself.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

It is, in fact, hardware cloth.

You mentioned that you could see where the HWC had been stretched or loosened. Was it where it had been attached to the wooden frame?

I would second the recommendation above to augment any staples with screws and fender washers, and possibly even then, cover the join with another piece of wood, so that predators can’t work at the bare edge of the wire.

I’m so sorry that you’re going through this.