bunkerhomestead
Chirping
- Sep 6, 2018
- 15
- 11
- 51
Hi all, I'm new to the forum. I am in the northern Catskills of NY State in a very rural area. I had 4 Rhode Island Red hens. They are totally free range and go where they like on the farm and roost up at night. A few days ago, I noticed one gone. She was taken during the daylight hours and I saw nothing such as feathers or disturbance. Today, I left for an errand and the 3 remaning hens were going around as usual. When I returned an hour later, one hen was in a spot where they never go. I looked and saw a pile of feathers just outside the front door and 2 hens were gone. This was during the early afternoon. The front door was open to only glass and screen and I have 4 dogs! Whatever took the hens, it did not 4 feet from 2 large young dogs who I know must have gone nuts barking at the door. The dogs were calm when I came home and the only thing I noticed different is they were nose to the ground tracking something when I let them out. What could have been so bold, so close to the house and dogs in the daylight? Thanks in advance for any insights
Been there—I’m in the Hudson Valley and have been battling losses to raccoons since I got my first chickens 3 yr. ago. I am currently making my run & coop area seriously more secure than fort knox. The crafty varmints have gotten my girls late afternoon, while my dogs were around, middle of the night without a trace except prints in the snow ( at the time I didn’t realize they could get into the coop through a screened window that was open just a liiiitle too wide), working in tandom— one scaring chickens to fenceline where another grabbed them through fence, and other unbelievable situations. We do have coyotes and other predators here, but the darn raccoons are the smartest and worst—and they are NOT afraid of your dogs or you, they’ve become way too comfortable with society. Lock your girls up & lock ‘em up TIGHT, or be prepared for continued losses...
