Lost 2 chickens, in 3 days - Help!

[chickengeorgeto]

If you keep nothing but leghorns in your flock there is no need to worry about your hens setting or dragging in volunteer chicks (this does not mean a leghorn won't steal away her nest) The desire or need to sit has been totally bred out of the White Leghorn strain of chickens. That is one reason leghorn hens lay so well.

 

[farmer boy]

well i was just saying that i don't loose any birds ya i just lost 2 one today the other a few days ago i think my a raven but this is at my house not my grandfathers .. i am pretty up set about it i didn't think ravens went after adult birds

 

[nireklov]

So sorry to hear about your loss. Do you think the raven might have just been cleaning up the mess that something else killed? I read that they like carrion.

That big gray cat was snooping around the coop yesterday while I was babysitting the girls free range time. I think he's our problem.

 

[farmer boy]

the ravens were coming around before my young bird was killed i found the dead bird yesterday just the wings legs and spine left there and it was with in a hour so he was grabbed killed eaten in less then an hour and i found him right beside the woods

 

[chefman4u2]

Sorry for the loss. We free range the last two hours of daylight with armed guard, (it's an enjoyable time instead of watching tv we talk and watch) and in one year have had NO losses with a flock of thirty with a rooster. I have not had a coon near the coop in over 9 months. Who says you can't train wild animals! Sting em in the butt and they will stay away. I use a camera security system and motion detectors. At first I got little sleep with the alarms going off, but when I got the height set right the rabbits don't set off the alarms very often, but the coons, possums,dogs and foxes have vacated our space. The feral cats I have just shooed off when they get close to the coop and they stay away from it, but still keep the mouse population in control. I am a happy camper for now. I know the odds may be agianst us, but I am diligent.

 

[boxofpens]

We also only free range the last few hours of the day. We tried free ranging one afternoon and had a hawk get waaaay to close. My husband and I both saw it come in and ran to corral the girls and get them in their run. I don't know why people think hawks don't come around wooded areas. This one came in from tree to tree in about 30 seconds.

 

[farmer boy]

well the attack happened where there were only 4 birds the rest live at my grandfathers where all my big roosters are and ducks .. i had a hawk come in thinking its all tuff trying to get my girls he grabbed one hen she was the biggest hen / heavyest hen and the hawk couldn't even pick her up off the ground lol she was a little mad but she was fine .... i think if a a small animal came to attack my big flock they would be scared off by the roosters i have there are 4 big ones and 2 small ones then one that doesn't know what to do yet and he is like 11-12 months old hes a silkie ... but it happened to the birds i keep at my house the weaker ones / the ones that get picked on