I have been losing chickens several at a time! Not sure what is killing them.
My hen house is an 8 x 12 barn style storage shed that has been used for a chicken house for about 10 years or more. When we moved here, I had to add a pop door for the girls because it didn't have one. I made one that slides up and down.
About 3 weeks ago, my chickens started disappearing one by one. Then I found my duck dead. I thought we had a fox that was getting them after I let them out in the morning.
I even found a dead rooster pulled half under the chicken house by the pop door. I thought He had got locked out since this was when I went out to open the door for the day.
Two days ago, I went to let my chickens out about 11AM and everyone was fine.( im down to 2 roosters and 11 hens by now), So I go to get eggs about 5:30 PM, and I opened the people door to a horrible mess. Dead chickens everywhere it seemed. There were actually 6 dead hens and 1 rooster I had to put out of his misery.
This leaves 5 hens and 1 rooster. I opened the door to let them out yesterday and now I am down to 3 hens.. I am stumped!! I looked everywhere to see if there are any holes chewed in the wood where something could get in and all the wires over ventilations are intact. I'm thinking I have a ghost predator.
Could a raccoon get the pop door open? That is the only explanation I can think of. I nailed it shut last night. I am going out in a few minutes, to see if I Have any chickens left.
Any Ideas?
My hen house is an 8 x 12 barn style storage shed that has been used for a chicken house for about 10 years or more. When we moved here, I had to add a pop door for the girls because it didn't have one. I made one that slides up and down.
About 3 weeks ago, my chickens started disappearing one by one. Then I found my duck dead. I thought we had a fox that was getting them after I let them out in the morning.
I even found a dead rooster pulled half under the chicken house by the pop door. I thought He had got locked out since this was when I went out to open the door for the day.
Two days ago, I went to let my chickens out about 11AM and everyone was fine.( im down to 2 roosters and 11 hens by now), So I go to get eggs about 5:30 PM, and I opened the people door to a horrible mess. Dead chickens everywhere it seemed. There were actually 6 dead hens and 1 rooster I had to put out of his misery.
This leaves 5 hens and 1 rooster. I opened the door to let them out yesterday and now I am down to 3 hens.. I am stumped!! I looked everywhere to see if there are any holes chewed in the wood where something could get in and all the wires over ventilations are intact. I'm thinking I have a ghost predator.
Could a raccoon get the pop door open? That is the only explanation I can think of. I nailed it shut last night. I am going out in a few minutes, to see if I Have any chickens left.
Any Ideas?
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