I have hens and a rooster who free range during the daylight hours and haven't lost one in the year we've had them. So thinking along these lines my run for the meat chickens and four turkeys is built basically to keep them in, not in the hopes of keeping anything out. They are only out in their run from about 9am to 8pm. Never at night, tho I have forgotten to close up the pop door on the layers some nights! My heart stops every time I realise I've done this but thank goodness they are ok.
I suppose it was really only a matter of time until the critters found my chickens. We live in the country, have coyotes, raccoons, bob cats, skunks and possibly fisher cats. And probably a couple more I don't know about. We just don't see them during the day, so I thought the chickens would be OK in their run during the day.
But not so. I let the meat chickens and turkeys out a little earlier then usual the other day(about 7am) and went to work in the garden. I check on them regularily during the day and really only head count the turkeys (cause they're awesome and come running lol). I realised about sometime in the afternoon that one turkey was missing
I knew that if it could, the turkey would come when I called...something was up.
On the far side of the run is a pasture area thats ready for cows, hasn't been touched this year and the field is higher then my head in places. Thinking that perhaps the turkey was caught in the grass, I broke trail to go see. Once I was near the fence I see a path slightly worn on the ground, smallish but bigger then a house cat type path. Farther up along this, and right next to the fence, just outside it I found one turkey wing set of feathers, one leg, some entrails and one bone, piked clean. My daughter also found some animal feces very close to the kill, sort of dog like in appearance. (pretty sure no dogs or cats were the killers)
It looked like the turkey had been dragged from inside the run, under the fence, to just on the other side to be eaten. My turkeys at this point are about the size of a house cat.
I tried to look it up and see what it might have been that killed the turkey, and it looks like everything fits the bill. If I know what it is....who knows. I honestly have no clue what to do. I haven't had any more losses but I'm letting everyone out latter in the day and bringing them in early. And the cat doens't get out after dark either.
Any ideas? And what kind of battle am I going to be fighting from now on.
I suppose it was really only a matter of time until the critters found my chickens. We live in the country, have coyotes, raccoons, bob cats, skunks and possibly fisher cats. And probably a couple more I don't know about. We just don't see them during the day, so I thought the chickens would be OK in their run during the day.
But not so. I let the meat chickens and turkeys out a little earlier then usual the other day(about 7am) and went to work in the garden. I check on them regularily during the day and really only head count the turkeys (cause they're awesome and come running lol). I realised about sometime in the afternoon that one turkey was missing
On the far side of the run is a pasture area thats ready for cows, hasn't been touched this year and the field is higher then my head in places. Thinking that perhaps the turkey was caught in the grass, I broke trail to go see. Once I was near the fence I see a path slightly worn on the ground, smallish but bigger then a house cat type path. Farther up along this, and right next to the fence, just outside it I found one turkey wing set of feathers, one leg, some entrails and one bone, piked clean. My daughter also found some animal feces very close to the kill, sort of dog like in appearance. (pretty sure no dogs or cats were the killers)
It looked like the turkey had been dragged from inside the run, under the fence, to just on the other side to be eaten. My turkeys at this point are about the size of a house cat.
I tried to look it up and see what it might have been that killed the turkey, and it looks like everything fits the bill. If I know what it is....who knows. I honestly have no clue what to do. I haven't had any more losses but I'm letting everyone out latter in the day and bringing them in early. And the cat doens't get out after dark either.
Any ideas? And what kind of battle am I going to be fighting from now on.
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