Yesterday was my wife's birthday. We have a partial fenced in yard and during the day I let our chickens out to free range and lock them up at night in their coop. Yesterday before church I let them out but did not let our two dogs out as they tend to bark (beagles) at every critter that comes in site and we have a lot. We live in a neighborhood so it doesn't make for good neighbor relations. Came back less than 2 hours later and our birds had been killed. 
Something clawed it's way inside a 2 1/2" gap at the gate and killed them both. Ate the heads and little less and left them. 
We back up to a large natural area so have EVERYTHING the area 'offers' (coyotes, raccoons, foxes, opposums, etc...) and in abundance! Literally nightly visits from any/all of the aforementioned. I keep a trail camera out. My suspicion is gray fox (as I assume a racoon would have just scaled the 5' chain link fence) but I guess we'll never know for sure...
We are first time chicken owners so started with three. One inexplicably died (EE) about two years so we only had two left, Americauna and a Black Copper Maran. Would have been 3 years next month.
So now, what to replace them with? We only need/want 2-3.
The BCM had beautiful large eggs but her production was fairly low. The Americauna was a good layer. The temperament on both was fine (especially the BCM, the Americauna was a little goofy.
)
Of course I'd like the most prolific producers of large eggs but want each chicken to lay a different color. I like being able to track production easily. Sooooo.... recommendations? I always 'thought' I wanted a Barred Rock and a Buff Orpington, but it's all still new to us.
Very sad about our girls...
Something clawed it's way inside a 2 1/2" gap at the gate and killed them both. Ate the heads and little less and left them. We back up to a large natural area so have EVERYTHING the area 'offers' (coyotes, raccoons, foxes, opposums, etc...) and in abundance! Literally nightly visits from any/all of the aforementioned. I keep a trail camera out. My suspicion is gray fox (as I assume a racoon would have just scaled the 5' chain link fence) but I guess we'll never know for sure... We are first time chicken owners so started with three. One inexplicably died (EE) about two years so we only had two left, Americauna and a Black Copper Maran. Would have been 3 years next month.
So now, what to replace them with? We only need/want 2-3.
The BCM had beautiful large eggs but her production was fairly low. The Americauna was a good layer. The temperament on both was fine (especially the BCM, the Americauna was a little goofy.
)Of course I'd like the most prolific producers of large eggs but want each chicken to lay a different color. I like being able to track production easily. Sooooo.... recommendations? I always 'thought' I wanted a Barred Rock and a Buff Orpington, but it's all still new to us.
Very sad about our girls...
