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Post by Skandi on Apr 19, 2015 11:02:44 GMT
Lost 4 chickens overnight (out of 6) very little evidence, a few feathers and a knocked over waterer. there's two holes in the wire at the back of the coop and feathers mushed into them an on the ground the other side. The coop is in a barn but the door was open last night (trying to let all the butterflies that hibernated there out) There's no feather trail anywhere outside. there's no blood no guts. they were taken after it got dark and before it got light.
Something also tried to dig into the run from the outside, but there's no evidence there of anything being taken out. So not sure if it's connected or not. oddly the chicken with a broken leg survived.
Choices would be cats, stray dog, mink, fox, pinemartin (like a mink) weasel, stoat or raptors, but can't see a raptor draging a chicken through a fence in the barn.
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Post by mzgarden on Apr 19, 2015 11:48:11 GMT
If that happened here first choice would be fox, then raccoon, then mink. In our experience, foxes kill a bunch, drag one home and come back for the rest of the dead. That coming back thing gave us the opportunity wait for it and prevent a reoccurrence  . Raccoons typically grab and drag - often we end of up with a headless bird. Minks killed 18 one night, took the heads on some, but pretty much left everything for us to find.  Game camera can be your best friend - they'll likely come back. |
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Post by farmchix on Apr 19, 2015 12:39:52 GMT
I would go with a game camera as well. Sneaky little boogars!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2015 15:46:50 GMT
I am so sorry. I know how sad it is to lose your chickens after you have put all of that work into them. I hope you can figure out what it was and eliminate it. Otherwise, it will be back and finish them off.  |
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Post by Bear Foot Farm on Apr 19, 2015 22:05:56 GMT
There's your answer, but I wouldn't waste time setting up a camera.
What you need is traps, and with a Fox that usually means a leg-hold type to be sucessful
Most of the other predators will go into a live trap at least once
Put down an "apron" to stop the digging under the fence, and if you're using "chicken wire" consider replacing that with 2 X 4 welded wire
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Post by Skandi on Apr 19, 2015 23:03:56 GMT
Any form of trap would be illegal here. other than a live capture. the remaining two chickens are in my freezer room at the moment. They're meant to be in a child play pen but when I checked they were both on top of the freezer.. obviously not a chicken proof pen!. To get into that would mean coming through the house or a solid door and I hope that's a bit to much for anything wanting a chicken dinner. Spoken to our neighbour and he thinks it's probably mink, since there's no mess about anywhere, and the hole in the wire inside is only just big enough to pull a chicken through. no where near big enough for a fox to get through. I did find what looks like a chicken liver in the middle of the field.. and I found feather trails in two different directions, I'm wondering if the initial commotion attracted other pests.
Their "coop" is getting redone with welded since that wire is old and gave up. the chickenwire outside survived even though whatever dug in there pulled the screws holding the bottom plank out of the post they were in 1" (and at night there is a shut door between the outside run and the coop. These *ยค%# came in through the barn door.)
I'm also trying to figure out a rearangment that doesn't leave their prefered roost right up against the wire. they actual roosts are on the back wooden partition. but they will not touch them.. sighs.
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Post by farmchix on Apr 19, 2015 23:21:14 GMT
I still like the trailcam idea. I know others don't. I'm sure I would be amazed what is hanging out around here. I got up at 3am a few months ago to get some water. Looked out the window and there were three possums eating persimmons. Those beady little eyes still haunt me! LOL
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Post by paquebot on Apr 20, 2015 0:08:14 GMT
No possums where Skandi lives. Don't think that coon are there, either. But there are red foxes. Right now, they have their young and they were hungry. Aren't hungry now as their parents brought home enough to eat on for a week.
Martin
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Post by Bear Foot Farm on Apr 20, 2015 3:10:35 GMT
If a chicken would fit, so would a Fox
The wire would flex then spring back in
Set a live trap with the entrance against the hole and it might work
Generally it takes a very large trap for a Fox to enter
I think A Mink would have eaten the birds there since their short legs aren't conducive to carrying large prey very far
I once saw a video of a Vixen with kits that got in a coop and killed 5 chickens.
She carried then one by one to different sites near her den and buried them
It took her about 45 minutes total
This time of year Foxes will often be in family groups so there could be pair with multiple young
I'd invest in a large live trap or much heavier wire ASAP
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Post by Skandi on Apr 20, 2015 10:29:03 GMT
No possums where Skandi lives. Don't think that coon are there, either. But there are red foxes. Right now, they have their young and they were hungry. Aren't hungry now as their parents brought home enough to eat on for a week. Martin yeah no possum, or coon or coyote. LOTS of foxes. Yah.. last free dinner for them I hope! Revamped chicken coop going up. hole in barn door fixed and skirting put on outside run... lets see |
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Post by mzgarden on Apr 21, 2015 11:55:39 GMT
Good, let us know how it goes.
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. Raccoons typically grab and drag - often we end of up with a headless bird. Minks killed 18 one night, took the heads on some, but pretty much left everything for us to find. 
