I got home from work at about 2:45 am and Connor went on high alert as soon as he got out of the car. The neighbor's dog was barking like mad and Connor joined in then took off to clear the area of invaders. I went out to check on everyone and they were all fine and I saw nothing but deer and the full moon for the dogs to be barking at so I shrugged and went to bed.
I couldn't sleep though and Connor kept yelling at something. Finally, he gave up and came to bed just before 4:00. At five after, I heard the chickens squaking and rushed out the door to check. One of the red star hens was gone.
Something had tunneled under the wall and stolen a hen. I think they would all be dead if I had not arrived, half naked, in slippers, mad as hell and ready to take on all monsters.
This is why I question the sanity of trying to keep poultry here.
Something is going to have to be done. For today, I moved the coop next to the barn and reinforced the perimeter. It will be hotter for them, but maybe safer. It was all I could do for today. If they make it to tomorrow, I will figure something else out. What ever the murderer is, it is not deterred by two large, angry dogs. Given how small the tunnel space was under the wall, I suspect a Fisher. They are not easily deterred.
Don't. Get. Attached.
oh dear. Could you either dig down and put chicken wire so they can't dig under? Or run an electric wire around the bottom?
ReplyDeletewe put a very heavy wire around our pen. it's called beagle wire. it's for rabbit pens where you train beagles to run rabbits. it has a flap that lays on the ground to keep the rabbits from burrowing out.
ReplyDeletesorry to hear about the hen
Damn!
ReplyDeleteOh, no! So sorry little hen. We live out in the country and when we fenced the backyard we put 8X8s at the bottom of the fence and buried the wire about a foot and curved it into the yard. Any digging dog would strike wire. With a fisher, you would have to curve the wire out. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteUgh. We have fishers here and they are the worst. We got a coop that's solid all the way around, no way in or out unless you have thumbs, but we still worry about getting birds, even with two dogs!
ReplyDeleteCrap. Hardware cloth floor maybe?
ReplyDeleteSo sorry. It is hard not to get attached to our critters though, isn't it? :(
ReplyDeletehttp://www.backyardchickens.com/a/fisher-cat-chicken-predators-how-to-protect-your-chickens-from-fisher-cats
ReplyDeleteYup - I had a friend with chickens in her yard and coop and all - on a small acreage somewhat near a town. Same deal - poultry is prey like it or not and to LOTS of predators. I leave the poultry raising to my neighbor who can take the shock of walking around his buildings and finding a cougar, fox, coyote, bear - whatever. Keep reinforcing!
ReplyDeleteI had an opossum after my chickens the other night. Luckily, I was on my way to check on everyone one last time before bed and the dogs got him! We put a layer of hardwire cloth along the ground all around our coop and covered run and then poured quickcrete over it to try to prevent anything digging it's way in. So far it has worked. I find myself making improvements and adjusting "security" of the coop all the time trying to outsmart the predators. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteFisher's are deadly and determined. We dug [we can dig...no rocks to speak of] a trench 2 feet deep inside the tobacco barn and buried metal roofing in it along the bottom of the walls...it has been disturbed by something but they seem to give up after about a foot of running into the metal. Have you an electric option? A hot wire about 4 inches off the ground?
ReplyDeleteSo sorry about the raid on the chicken coop. I had a mink get thru the tiniest opening and into my chicken coop once. I went out, mad as hell and ready to clobber the little s.o.b. So there I am, animal lover extraordinaire, with a fireplace poker in my hand face to face with a terrified mink. I used my poker to herd the little bastid into a have a heart trap and released him far away the next morning...I know minks need to eat too. I love my chickens and hate to lose them...Weasels are soo hard to keep out. I'm very sorry for your loss Kris...
ReplyDelete