Your video is hysterical! I thought it was looking for the crickets. Nice website too. I stumbled onto that site the other day looking for something.
I wish you were closer. I only charge $5 for my chickens. LOL Best I remember it's about 11 hours to Iowa from here by car.
Masacre at the farm..only one survivor.
Oh wow...yeah...I could have certainly saved some money! I am paying $7 for 6 month old hens of those breeds. I say it is worth it since we didnt get the chance to have any eggs before our hens were all eaten. With fall on its way (MAN time sure goes fast these days!) we really would rather just cut right to the egg laying stage until next spring. We will let some hatch...and I will make sure to post pictures of whatever it is that comes out!
That is so hilarious. I have actually heard of hens trying to crow but that is probably not the case here. Guess he decided he'd better man up since he was the only rooster in town. :-)
Leah
I'll bet he never crowed before because the other rooster was dominant. I had some miselanious chickens last year and wasn't sure who was a rooster and who wasn't, so I put the all in the pen with my older hens and rooster. We figured that we would butcher who ever started to crow. I never heard a single crow out of anyone but the old rooster for months.
Well, we had to remove the old cock to fix a cut on his foot and while he was gone, 4 chickens started to crow.
I'm not sure if they were afraid of the old rooster or they knew we ate roosters and were hiding. Either way, they blew their cover!
All the people laughing are really fudged up.
If I were you I would sit out on the porch with a shotgun. Put out a chicken in a cage so that it cannot be harmed. Whatever did it will surly be back for more, it is an easy meal to them. Whatever predator it is give it a shot in the head. I would feel no compassion for whatever animal did this. All you can do now is try to improve the pen and avenge their death.
MCamden, I've had chickens for several years and have read many poultry horror stories and wrote of one significant massacre. The failure of poultry hobbyists (myself included) to build safe enclosures is #1 cause of poultry massacres. The hogwire suggestion is excellent one for larger animals like a fox, cats, fishers & raccoons. but if you're dealing with a mink ...... you'll really have to get a significantly smaller gauge holed wire yet still quite heavy for the flooring cover of the chicken run. Holes in the wire fence (all 6 sides) should be no larger than about 1-2 inches in tall or wide. Covering the floor wire with a few inches of dirt makes it far less intrusive to the habits of the poultry inside the run. Any hole larger than 2X2 inches will allow a mink to squeeze into the enclosure. Mink kill for fun. I've seen a dead one here and luckily we do not have raccoons. If we get any more mink here ... I'm afraid my flock will be decimated. I did not and will not build to keep out mink but given the circumstances of the 1 solitary mink we experienced ..... I'm reasonably confident that he was far far far (5-10 miles) from his normal home range. I live 10 due east of the river but just 75 ft from a tiny stream ....... that solitary mink followed the stream away from its "normal habitat" 10 miles straight out into what otherwise has/had been for eons uninhabitable dry desert land covered by sagebrush...... but is now all irrigated crop land ....... thus the tiny stream adjacent to my home = a drain for the valley. 75 years ago the stream/drain did not exist. I really think the digging is more indicative of a raccoon than a mink given the fact that some of your dead poultry were mostly consumed or taken away from the premises. Ideally a cement floor with no cracks makes for the best ground floor of a chicken run. Obviously nothing can dig up through solid concrete and it too could be covered with dirt every bit as easily as heavy wire can be.
This message was edited Jul 27, 2007 7:04 AM
This message was edited Jul 27, 2007 7:13 AM
That is pretty wild. SO far we have not caught anything except the two small cats and one racoon. We let the cats go, and got rid of the racoon since I know they come back when they know there is food.
We are digging up all the way around our chicken coop...and run, and we are going to bury broken up concrete all the way around...then cover with dirt again. We are also putting chicken wire under the concrete...JUST in case. I still think it was a mink that did this...but we havent caught anything yet.
Yesterday we noticed this lump in the chicken run. It has swelled up over night (was small on Wednesday...then pretty big yesterday). We thought it was a dead bird that had swelled...and the dirt was soft (it was kinda where the animal burrowed in). We dug down 3 feet, and out several..and even on the OTHER side of the fence. But, we didnt find anything...just a ton of feathers. Any idea what it could have been? Ryan was all exciting thinking he was going to find the animal that did this still alive so he could kill it...but no luck. It was really odd though!
could it be a rat????
I dont know...I have actually never seen a rat in my life (other then the pet stores). I think the hole may have been too big to be a rat...and had a rat attacked my chickens I would think they would have been able to defend themselves. maybe not I guess...either way...we never found a tunnel from this 'mound' inside the chicken coop...and it really made me nervous...so much in fact that I went out at 2 this morning and brought our chicken inside.
Read back to my response on July 24th :(
MistyMeadows, Yes ..... a mink certainly could be the culprit but I tend to think a raccoon did it. Either way the last hen is in a dangerous situation till the fencing is made strong yet with holes small enough to keep mink outside. Kelly
I think we are good now. We completely remodeled the chicken run, and installed a floor in the coop. There is burried fence and rock completely surrounding the run as well. We are keeping our one chicken in the garage at night until we are all finished and know that it is all secure. We are also installing a motion light...and will have power to our coop so we can play a radio. The neighbors run doesnt even have burried fence...or even go to the ground!...and he only uses a radio to keep things away...so far he has not had a single problem...so we are using that an ANOTHER precaution. One week until our new hens come out!
Oh...and our duck likes to play with our housecat. She is too lazy to care that the duck is a duck.
Oh my...so we went to check our live traps this morning, and I found an interesting site. The 'thing' that took our chickens and duck came back! It created a new burrow just a few inches from the original one. Last night was the first night since the masacre that we didnt have live traps around the coop...I moved them since we were doing all of the renovations, and completed the house. Thanks God our one remaining chicken was still being kept in the gargage at night, because none of our 5 live traps had been triggered! The 'thing' that burrowed tunneled in to the bottom of the fence again (we havent finished securing that side yet). And it actually came in and up to the back side of a live trap we had burried. So...what is it? I still say a fox!
It has also rained last night before we set the live traps, so the ground was muddy. Even with that...still we did not find a single foot print!
Since we dont think whatever it is is stupid enough to go into a trap...we are trying to think of other ways to catch this thing. Any ideas?
Here is a picture of where the live trap was burried...and how it connects to the back of this tunnel this thing dug...
Also...we thought it was a little odd that there was very little dirt outside of this hole. It looks like it was maybe digging out, instead of in. Ryan still seems to think that it was down there the whole time, and just waiting to dig out. I told him I didnt think anything coudl hvae lived for a week under ground, with no air. Even if it could...why wait for a week to dig out? I still think it dug in anyway...since the little bit of dirt that was there looks like it was kicked out about 10 inches from the start of the hole.
mcamden, Whatever it is ....... it is very determined to get inside your chicken run. I use conibear traps. You probably need a few of the 330 or 280 sized conibear traps with springs on each side that are about 6-7 inches square. I have the 110 size (4.5 inches) for skunks and small gophers with a single spring. I still believe a raccoon is the culprit ...... mostly because of the size of your initial massacre. Also ..... I have never read in more than 5 years of reading various poultry massacre stories ...... not one has been attributed to a fox. All of the messy multiple deaths were done by 1) raccoons & 2) mink. None yet to date actually caught a fox that they were certain committed the crime. So yours would be a first. A large portion of my life's works has been dealing with statistics and probability related to populations. It hardly matters what either of us think ..... just go get it. We'll all be happy whatever it is as long as it is history and your birds are safe. Best wishes.
No, I can attest to fox mass killings. They leave no feathers or blood. They remove the whole chicken to annother location nad have actually found a pile of chickens with some dirt and leaves scraped over it. We cought the fox with leg holds. At my friends house, a fox wiped out twenty some odd chickens in two nights, before we caught it, again with leg holds. They are just too smart and cautious for live traps.
I've never known coons to tunnel like that. They reach through the wire and pull the chicken out piece by piece. (a very messy proposition)
Could whatever it is be utilizing old badger or woodchuck runs? Whatever it is, narrow gage hog pannels or sturdy fencing (I have one pen with old chain link under the dirt and it keeps foxes IN, so I know it would keep them out.) Under the chicken run will certainly stop it. After I laid the underwire, I just threw a bale of shavings and some straw on top and the chickens turned it to dirt in no time.
jylgaskin, I've really never heard of foxes doing this until now but I can believe it. Are there any hog panels with small holes ..... small enough to prevent a mink or other weasel from slipping through ? I'm fortunate to be in an area where there are no foxes or raccoons and the mink population is nearly non-existent. I'm a bit tired of battling the local loose dogs and even tired of the feral cats, skunks and coyotes. Cats an skunks are the worst problems. I've only had a few problems with stray dogs. The dogs have never come back or they couldn't make it home. If they make it home ..... they definitely remember our place and the buckshot. In our area a loose dog is assumed to be a potential or probable stock killer and those with stock ..... do what is necessary to protect their property and income.
The ones will smaller holes are about 2 x 3 or 4. Probably won't stop a rat or weasel, but they seem to circomvent about anything. I have done wildlife rehab for many years and raised all of the above predetors. Weasels and minks are the worst. They start biting you before they even have teeth and heaven help you if they get loose. I'll take a fox any day, at least they are predictable.
I've found skunks to be pretty dumb and at least they won't wipe out a whole flock in a few days. We've never had a problem with coons and chickens.
I finally got it! It was a badger! Mean little thing too! It had burried our duck, and came back to get him last night. The details are in my latest posting...
Thanks to everyone for your help and support.
Oh my Lord
I never even thought of one
Never seen one around here
Saw them when I lived out west
mean little creatures if I remember correctly
glad you got it and the mystery is solved
OMG! That thing IS ugly! Was the hump in the ground you had found earlier, the duck? I'm glad you got rid of that thing and hope he was the only murderer!
mcamden, where is your latest posting?
I have been watching this thread to see if you caught whatever was killing your chickens so I don't know where you regularly post.
Susan
=^..^=
Susan, I just posted a new posting on this same forum. Its the one that said I Killed It. I also posted addional pictures, and a video of it on my website: http://www.freewebs.com/ryanandmelissa/sweetrevenge.htm
The badger WAS mean...although we where hiding within about 7 feet of it for three hours...and it didnt seem to know too much that we were there.
We never found out what the 'hump' was. I had Ryan did it out, but we never found anything. The duck was actually burried on the outside of the chicken run..about 2 feet from its original hole. Just remember...if you ever see one of these things BE CAREFUL! They can be extremely aggressive, and VERY large. Their claws (if you look at the pics on my website) as more like a sloth then anything. We were lucky this one was just a small girl.
Thanks, I found it. That's an awful looking creature. So glad you got rid of it.
Hope it doesn't have family. :(
Susan
=^..^=
I know! That was what the neighbor said! I threw it out by the racoon we got last week. That was gone within 24 hours...so hopefully the birds will come and get this thing too. Turkey voltures are wonderful! They do a great job 'cleaning things up', but stay away from the live things for the most part.
Congratulations! Now you can bring in your new chickens. You bet badgers are mean; I have a wonderful rehab story about one though.
A woman called me on her cell phone. She was standing outside her brand new Volvo, just down the road. She said that she had hit a "woodchuck" and knocked it out, but since it was still breathing she was trying to bring it to me. She scooped it up with a cardboard box and threw it in the back of her station wagon. Well, almost to my house, it woke up and started making a terrible racket so she got scared and got out of the car, leaving the fully awake and loose "Woodchuck" shut inside. Now it was tearing up the inside of her car and she wanted to know what to do. (I deal with some idiots in this business)
I asked her if it was brown, low, flat and had a light stripe starting at its nose. She of course, confirmed it. I said I'd be right there.
In the 2 minutes it took to get there, not only had the "Woodchuck" torn up her leather interior, but also it sprayed everything with a scent gland similar to a skunk. I opened the door, jumped up on the hood and watched a very angry badger with a big headache pile out and into the ditch.
I didn't feel I needed to give her the lecture about not picking up injured animals before you know for sure what they are and I'm pretty sure she will NEVER put an animal loose in her car again, so I drove her home.
She had to have the car towed and a whole new interior put in. I saw her a few years later and she said that the car still smelled when it was in the sun.
That is a wild story! I applied to be a wildlife rehabilitor for Iowa a year ago before I moved to be with my Ryan. I was approved and was supposed to start my apprenticeship...but things changes. I still love all animals (at least the ones that dont eat my animals!).
Ryan walked around all day saying, 'Yup...good thing I have all these guns.' See...I dont like guns, and I have made a point of telling him that I dont like them. SO...of coarse he took last nights event as his chance to prove a point.
We are nearly done 'securing' the new coop, and I will be sure to post some pictures of it when its done. All I can say is that it is surrounded by 4 inch concrete pieces...that sit on top of wire fence...that will be under a layer or 3 inch rock! Muahahaha...our new chickens should be in chicken heaven when they come out next Thursday!
Good for you mcamden!!! Now you'll sleep a lot better at night!
;) Glenda
I am not a NRA member but I still would have tried to find out and shot whatever had done this horrible thing to your pets.
Ryan and my husband would love each other. I rehab, he hunts. My son moved out and Husband took over his room. You would have thought he was Ty Pentington. Now all his guns are in one spot. We call it the armory. I swear the whole house leans to that side. If there is ever a fire, the firemen won't be able to get within a half mile of this place. It will be like the 4th of July.
I'll be waiting for photos of the chickens.
mcamden, congrats on getting that badger! Geez that's a mean looking creature. You and your fiance' should be commended for your dedication to catching that thing. Great website - enjoyed all your videos and photos.
My heart went out to you when I first found your thread. We've only had our roosters about 2 weeks but I've already become so attached to them. They follow me around like puppy dogs and eat meal worms from a spoon. We are 'city folks' who moved to the country 4 years ago and have never had chickens before. Our tick problem was so bad this year we wanted guineas or chickens to eat them. A friend had extra roosters and gave us 4 (yeah, I've already figured out roosters are given away for good reason and we will eventually have a problem on our hands......think I'll start a thread for some advice on that subject!). We do not have a coop of any kind yet - they are 100% free range now - hope to start one this weekend. We lost one on their second night but the other three have been doing very well. We thought they were roosting in the trees but discovered they had taken to roosting in my flower baskets on the front entry under the gas lamps. They have ruined my flowers and we have to hose off the porch every morning but, until we build them a coop, I will let them stay there where it's safer. We have fox, raccoons, skunks, hawks, rats, snakes, dogs, coyotes.......plenty of predators.
Good luck with your coop improvements and locating more chickens.
Debra
Debra, You'll have to put some little statues or something in your plants so that the chickens won't like resting in them...they are trying to protect themselves from predators. If you have something, even a ladder, that you could put somewhere, you might get them to go there instead of your plants. :)
Oh yeah...your guys NEED someplace safe...or I am afraid you may have your 'too many rooster' problem solved pretty quickly. In the wild chickens were able to fly, but the domesticated (more or less) chickens that have been bred to get fat and lay eggs...they are too heavy to really get off the ground very well. This makes them an easy target. At night they also tend to just 'mellow'. We actually close our garage door, and shut off the lights to catch ours! With the light on he flaps and runs, but as soon as the lights are off I can just walk up and pick him up with no problem.
That is a great picture though, are your guests surprised when they see a rooster on the porch? Let us know how the coop building goes...I know ours took about 5 months! But...it is also pretty delux.
We have a blue spruce that our barred rocks go into at night, they are the only ones. ? Our comets go into the barn where we have many roosts for them. We leave the barn lights on all night for them. Most don't stay out on the ground. Now our cornish rocks just sleep on the ground and our blue slate turkeys go into their pen at night.
:) Kathy
Oh wow...you guys must not have as many predators around...or maybe a lot of farm dogs? We can sit on our porch and watch groups of racoon...coyotes...farrel cats, and fox every night! If we left our out for even one night...they would certainly be whiped out! I must say that i am jealous.
We have two dogs....an old border collie and her son, a lab mix. They keep most things away, but the owls like to get our cornish rocks. We have been short on eggs for the past two weeks and our hens had gone broody, but the numbers still were quite low. This morning we found out why. One of pigs, who has been out often...DH has repaired every possible place she was getting out....was caught yesterday eating the eggs. Today, she was seen climbing, yes climbing, over a gate to get out!!!!
:) Kathy
Ha! That's a sight hard to imagine - a pig climbing a gate! Must be good eggs!
Our coop will be much smaller and simpler in design. Because our ground is rocky and uneven, it will be built on top of a decking. I'm hoping that will also help keep predators from being able to tunnel in. I'd feel really guilty if I ran them off from the front porch and they were then eaten. I've chased away a mamma raccoon and her two babies a couple of times as they were sauntering about in the afternoon only yards from the birds (they didn't seem to notice the birds). I've also scurried the birds out of the open and into the woods when a hawk was hanging around. This is stressful! That survival of the fittest thing is rough!
Oh I hear ya! It is hard keeping them safe. You just have to do the best you can do, and hope everyone stays safe. Expect to loose one from time to time to unforseen circulstances...and enjoy them when they are around.
Have you gotten any leads on replacement chickens? Will you be raising chicks or are you looking for more mature birds?
Oh, Huey crowed THREE TIMES this morning! His first crows! He kinda startled me since I wasn't used to him crowing. I think he heard a rooster crowing in a distance and it inspired him!