Lost my flock to a raccoon :(

[gimmie birdies]

Sorry about your chickens. I lost my 6 to a weasel. In Dec. but I caught the weasel and beefed up security for my new chickens.

 

[glloyd203]

So many of us truly understand the loss of a wonderful pet, and our chickens give us such joy as they toddle around, wings out, calling to us as they run our way. God bless you for working to save your rooster. I think the real pain comes with how it happened, and I am so sorry. Time will ease that, and well-timed babies will welcome in healing. Take your time, but know that healing is around the corner.

That is so sweet, thank you so much

 

[glloyd203]

I'm so very sorry!!!! I know it hurts . We lost two this past month to a possum. Sending love your way.

Ugh so sorry to hear this! It's so hard!

 

[glloyd203]

Sorry about your chickens. I lost my 6 to a weasel. In Dec. but I caught the weasel and beefed up security for my new chickens.

Oh god I am so sorry. So glad you caught the weasel. I still have never seen a weasel in my area (Atlanta GA) but I think we have them and they scare me because they are so small and can get in anywhere. For all I know, it may have been a weasel and not a raccoon, I don't actually know for sure

 

[McChooky]

Same here, lost all 9 of my girls in one night! They had just started laying. Never found out what animal did the deed. One killed in the coop but eight killed outside and the predator BURIED them. Didn’t dig a hole but neatly pile dirt on them and covered them up, none were removed! Does any of this sound familiar to you? Very little blood or damage to the girls!??

A fox carries them a safe distance away and buries them or carries them back to their den . Coyotes carry them off a safe distance and buries what it doesn't eat and a bob cat kill them all before burying them to eat later.They cover them with a light covering of soil or leaves.Edit: A hungry bob cat will grab one and run

 

[Sondraa]

You are correct..most people don't understand the grief we experience when we lose animals we raise and that depend on us and give us so much back. I love this site so much for this among other reasons.

Thank you for sharing your story. Everyone reading gains as much as you do. Bloody love this site.

 

[glloyd203]

You are correct..most people don't understand the grief we experience when we lose animals we raise and that depend on us and give us so much back. I love this site so much for this among other reasons.

Thank you for sharing your story. Everyone reading gains as much as you do. Bloody love this site.

Yes it has really made me feel better <3 Thank you so much

 

[Luv Ducks]

Sorry about your chickens. I lost my 6 to a weasel. In Dec. but I caught the weasel and beefed up security for my new chickens.

I think it may have been a weasel that got theirs. Our coons prey at night and either eat the whole duck if they can or remove all of the insides of them. At least that is what happened to my two prize ducks that a coon got. It made me sick. I am sorry for everyone else's loses too. Prey animals can be absolutely horrifying to a flock of birds. A weasel will sometimes just suck the blood out of the neck and leave the bodies intact.

 

[Meyers And Sons Chicken F]

I'm just posting this because I've been so sad and most people I know don't seem to understand what a major loss this is. We lost ALL of our girls to a raccoon. Ten hens and one female duck... the male duck and the rooster survived. It got four the first night and I saw where it got in and sealed it well, but I underestimated the power of those animals. This is my eighth year keeping chickens and ducks and my third year with that particular run, with no issues, and I guess the cold made the raccoons desperate and crazed. I am just so, so, so deeply devastated and heartbroken. I had the most amazing flock. It was over a week ago now and I am still in disbelief. I'm not even entirely sure if my rooster is going to make it; he was injured in the attack and has been unwell, but he's on antibiotics and being hand fed and I'm praying for a miracle because I cannot handle losing him too. I don't even know why I'm posting this, except that in this community people will probably actually understand what I'm going through. Thanks for reading <3

Sorry for your loss, I've also lost my birds to something, not sure what it was, my question is do you know for sure it was a raccoon? Did it just eat the head off or eat other parts of the bird? I had a camera in the coop one time and a possum was eating the eggs but never bothered the chickens.

 

[Luv Ducks]

Sorry for your loss, I've also lost my birds to something, not sure what it was, my question is do you know for sure it was a raccoon? Did it just eat the head off or eat other parts of the bird? I had a camera in the coop one time and a possum was eating the eggs but never bothered the chickens.

I caught two raccoons right after my two birds got eaten by them. They came back for more but I set traps the following night and got them. They will remove the heads but not always. One was completely gone and the other had its head on but all of the insides eaten. By completely gone I mean just a pile of feathers practically and bones and all were eaten.