Fare thee well!

[The cheek coop]

It is with a sad and heavy heart we bid farewell to 2 of our beloved ladies tonight.
Tonight around 8:30 pm I was about to leave home when a dog ran across our backyard with a pleased look on his face. I immediately began looking for my hens but couldn’t find them. I assumed they had gone into the hen house to take shelter but upon inspection of the hen house there were no hens inside. As I was walking back around the house I seen the dog walking through my neighbors yard with one of our hens in its mouth. I yelled at the dog and it dropped the hen. I ran to her and she was still alive, thankfully. I picked her up and began walking with my neighbor looking for the other 4 hens. That’s when we found the first of the fatalities. It was our golden comet, Lucy. Then we found one of the Americanas, Elsie, ripped to shreds in the corner of the run. I had opened the door to the run earlier in the day to let them free range, per our usual and hadn’t put them back in for the night yet. We thankfully found our other 2 hens. One with missing feathers and the other about 25’ up a tree. The injured hen had external bite marks we treated with antiseptic. However since it was getting darker she was very lethargic so it was hard to determine the extent of her injuries. I did place her in the hen house and she drank water and flew to the roost. Fingers crossed and prayers sent up she will be ok.
This is our first loss to predators and will cease from allowing our hens to free range. Our run is sufficient space for them to roam.
Goodbye Elsie and Lucy you will be missed.

 

[CCsGarden]

I'm so sorry for your loss! Sending hugs and prayers for you and the rest of the hens!

 

[Hungry Chicken]

I am so sorry about your loss! Must have been a nightmare to find them. Sending love and support and hope that the survivors stay strong

 

[Callender Girl]

Poor Lucy and Elsie! I am so sorry that you lost them. Predator attacks leave both the survivors and their people shaken.

I hope your remaining girls recover physically. In my experience, their trauma of almost being eaten as well as that of seeing their coop mates taken will leave them spooked for some time. And, you will likely be uneasy, too, half expecting an attack at each and any sound you hear.

Since Elsie died in the run, they may not want to go into it. When a mink killed three of four hens in one coop/run, I had the ability to move my remaining hen into a different coop. She was still unsettled for a long time.

Take care of your girls and yourself!

 

[LaFleche]

 

[lagrange chicks]

It is with a sad and heavy heart we bid farewell to 2 of our beloved ladies tonight.
Tonight around 8:30 pm I was about to leave home when a dog ran across our backyard with a pleased look on his face. I immediately began looking for my hens but couldn’t find them. I assumed they had gone into the hen house to take shelter but upon inspection of the hen house there were no hens inside. As I was walking back around the house I seen the dog walking through my neighbors yard with one of our hens in its mouth. I yelled at the dog and it dropped the hen. I ran to her and she was still alive, thankfully. I picked her up and began walking with my neighbor looking for the other 4 hens. That’s when we found the first of the fatalities. It was our golden comet, Lucy. Then we found one of the Americanas, Elsie, ripped to shreds in the corner of the run. I had opened the door to the run earlier in the day to let them free range, per our usual and hadn’t put them back in for the night yet. We thankfully found our other 2 hens. One with missing feathers and the other about 25’ up a tree. The injured hen had external bite marks we treated with antiseptic. However since it was getting darker she was very lethargic so it was hard to determine the extent of her injuries. I did place her in the hen house and she drank water and flew to the roost. Fingers crossed and prayers sent up she will be ok.
This is our first loss to predators and will cease from allowing our hens to free range. Our run is sufficient space for them to roam.
Goodbye Elsie and Lucy you will be missed.

I am sorry you lost some of your girls. I decided when I got my chickens that free ranging was not going to happen here, I feel my girls are like an investment and will do what I can to protect them the best I can. I do give them grass everyday and bugs (earwigs mostly) when I find a bunch just so they get somethings they would get when free ranging. Since my girls never free ranged they are totally happy in there run.

 

[McChooky]

I am sorry you lost some of your girls. I decided when I got my chickens that free ranging was not going to happen here, I feel my girls are like an investment and will do what I can to protect them the best I can. I do give them grass everyday and bugs (earwigs mostly) when I find a bunch just so they get somethings they would get when free ranging. Since my girls never free ranged they are totally happy in there run.

I spent yrs building predator proof coops & runs and training my dogs to protect my chickens and lost 2 when I failed to put my dogs out before I let the chickens out. I still regret that but I have every other chick I've raised since 2021 , not counting deaths by natural causes or re-homing.Free ranging can be done with minimal losses!

 

[Tookie]

So so sorry for your losses, that's terrible.

 

[McChooky]

A man staying at a motel here left his dog with the manager until he returned and found the manager had tied his dog up and left it out in the sun without water and it died .The manager was charged with a felony cruelty and neglect but it won't bring his dog back.I'm sorry for your loss and hope the neglectful dog owner in your situation is held responsible! That's the only way they learn!

 

[Folly's place]

I'm so sorry for your losses, it's the worst part of chicken keeping!
Make sure that your coop and run are really predator proof too, something we had to learn the hard way here.
Free ranging is always a risk and sometimes a major disaster.
Do you know where this dog belongs? If yes, consider talking to the owner, maybe. I'd report this to animal control with a description of the dog involved also. This dog will return, so be ready! Pictures, at least.
Electric fencing is your friend, if it's legal where you live, and the electrified poultry netting (Premier1supplies.com) works very well.
Mary