LizStreithorst
02-21-2020, 01:20 PM
It must have been coyotes again. I have never heard them howl and neither have the dogs. They just show up and have a party.
Night before last I heard a big thump and a chicken screech at around 3 am. The dogs woke up too and went crazy. It was raining hard so I let them out to bark then let them back in. We went back to bed, but they went on a wild bark 3 more times until I gave up and got up at 5.
Yesterday it rained all day as well so I didn't do much outside but feed the horse and check on the chicken situation. I saw evidence of some carnage but not much. I saw the small chicken door, which I cut out and wedged the cut part back in to close, was open. Since I still saw a group of chickens in the pasture I still figured it was a possum that had broken in and snagged one for dinner.
At dusk, I saw only 4 hens looking around for a place to roost. At dark I went to check on them and lock them in their house. None were there. I found 1 hen roosting on the handle of the garden cart. This morning I only found 2. One alone in the pasture, the other in the woods. I called them to come for a treat. They always come when I make my sound that tells them I have treats. The one in the woods came to me, but the other did not. I walked out to around the big bush where the one in the pasture was. She ate her treats but I couldn't catch her to check her out. It looks like she may have an injury around her vent.
I can't believe that they killed 7, perhaps it will be 8 of my 9 chickens left. I thought I had them safely tucked in for the night and they got slaughtered. I can't blame a fox for snagging one in the pasture once of twice a year when picken's get slim or to feed their babies. But this is too much for me.
I want my new babies to be safe at night in their coop. I'm going to replace the door which is not good enough with a high quality automatic door in hope it will help. If nothing else, it will work better than what is there now. And it will work when my back hurt so bad that I have to go to bed before chicken bed time.
Sorry this is long and rambling.
Night before last I heard a big thump and a chicken screech at around 3 am. The dogs woke up too and went crazy. It was raining hard so I let them out to bark then let them back in. We went back to bed, but they went on a wild bark 3 more times until I gave up and got up at 5.
Yesterday it rained all day as well so I didn't do much outside but feed the horse and check on the chicken situation. I saw evidence of some carnage but not much. I saw the small chicken door, which I cut out and wedged the cut part back in to close, was open. Since I still saw a group of chickens in the pasture I still figured it was a possum that had broken in and snagged one for dinner.
At dusk, I saw only 4 hens looking around for a place to roost. At dark I went to check on them and lock them in their house. None were there. I found 1 hen roosting on the handle of the garden cart. This morning I only found 2. One alone in the pasture, the other in the woods. I called them to come for a treat. They always come when I make my sound that tells them I have treats. The one in the woods came to me, but the other did not. I walked out to around the big bush where the one in the pasture was. She ate her treats but I couldn't catch her to check her out. It looks like she may have an injury around her vent.
I can't believe that they killed 7, perhaps it will be 8 of my 9 chickens left. I thought I had them safely tucked in for the night and they got slaughtered. I can't blame a fox for snagging one in the pasture once of twice a year when picken's get slim or to feed their babies. But this is too much for me.
I want my new babies to be safe at night in their coop. I'm going to replace the door which is not good enough with a high quality automatic door in hope it will help. If nothing else, it will work better than what is there now. And it will work when my back hurt so bad that I have to go to bed before chicken bed time.
Sorry this is long and rambling.