What got my chicks?

[babsbag]

I have had rats in my coop, they even started a fire and burnt it down for me, but they have never bothered the chicks. I have heard of them eating toes off of roosting chickens though.

 

[luvmypets]

Thanks @Latestarter for taking care of the multiple postings.

I'm thinking it may have been weasals. Two years ago a neighbor dumped a huge amount of grass clippings onto the back of their property which borders ours. We were getting fed up with how messy the ducks were as we had 17, so we put them out overnight. They were fine for the first few nights but then one day when we went to check on them 4-5 of them got
Killed. It was awful, and of course they had to kill my blue swedish girls. Anyways one drake was missing, all we found was his head, and a bit of flesh from his breast. One of my blues had her whole head gone down to the end of the neck. Then by the gate of the pen, two ducks were dead drained of blood flattened like pancakes. They had no visible wounds they were just dead. At the time we had a manure pile next to the chicken run so we assumed rats. However it turned out the weasals were nesting in the grass clippings.


However, when we had our rat problem with our first chickens, they killed a few month old silkie chick the same way. We found her headless.

I just realized, the stall with the hole was connected directly to the outside, however the chicks were in the next stall over.. So whatever it was had to get directly through a small few inch slot. Either that or scale the wall or go under.

 

[farmerjan]

Weasels or minks can get through the slats in that stall and can climb over too. Coons can go over or under and any of them will kill for sport as well as for eating. They need to be put in a smaller, completely closed in coop at night for whatever you have left and start setting traps.

 

[luvmypets]

Weasels or minks can get through the slats in that stall and can climb over too. Coons can go over or under and any of them will kill for sport as well as for eating. They need to be put in a smaller, completely closed in coop at night for whatever you have left and start setting traps.

They are in a barn at night, we haven't had problems in years. Did some more research and weasals are looking far more likely.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Ya might wanto set up a game camera to get some pics of the goings on....doesn't help with the 'Protecting' but does answer many questions....reveals access, identity, and method of Attack....when ya know for Sure the culprit...the 'Plan of Attack' can be more successful for ya.

 

[Bruce]

REALLY sorry your birds were killed. Had a coon kill one and it was devastating, especially since I am equally at fault because she wasn't in the predator proof coop.

I agree with a lot of what people said

Could be multiple predator types given the descriptions. Jigsaw may have suffered blunt trauma trying to escape.

Yes on the game camera. It would be nice to know what all is coming in your coop area. I have rats at the moment, they steal the plastic eggs from the nests that are not in the coop (wrapped in 2x4 welded wire and 1/2" hardware cloth, not even a stoat can get in there). I set out the game camera and the rats come by several times a night. I know there are at least 3 having seen a male, female and juvenile (with the female). They usually stand up and look in the nest (bins are on the floor) and sometimes go in. I've stopped putting plastic eggs in them though, don't need to keep losing them.

One video started with whiskers RIGHT in the camera. Thought it was a rat but it was the neighbor across the road's cat. He has always come by in the winter, we see the daily paw prints, but until I got the alpacas 2 weeks ago, there were no open doors into the barn. I was hoping he would continue to come in and maybe snag a rat or 10 but I've not seen him on the camera again.

I had woodchucks this summer (before I had the camera). I expect they will be back in the spring, always are. BUT, I should be getting a 14 month old GP in a few weeks so those chucks will move or die. Either is fine by me.

 

[babsbag]

BUT, I should be getting a 14 month old GP in a few weeks

 

[luvmypets]

X2 Im jealous !

 

[babsbag]

I always felt the my goats were pretty safe with a 4' no climb fence with hot wire top and bottom, inside and out. But I wanted a dog and finally talked my husband into letting me get two, he thought that one living in the barn was cruel, we raise everything in pairs around here. I am home all week alone and before my dogs I was hesitant to go out at night, hated being in the barn at night, and basically had to be home before dark to get chores done. Kidding season terrified me. Now with the dogs I come and go whenever and have no qualms about going to the barn at 2:00 AM. My goats might not have needed the dogs but I sure did, it changed my life drastically for the better and I will never be without LGDs again. I feel totally safe with them on duty.

Now I need one for my chickens, and DH agrees.

 

[TAH]

X2 Im jealous !

x3