What could have ripped up chain link fence like this?

[birdy_num_nums]

These are chain link 'dog run' panels, 6x6. I thought they were secure.
The first photo is what the fence is supposed to look like.

The following photos are the aftermath of whatever got to it and bent and tore at the metal. This occurred in three different places around the pen. The pen consisted of 6 panels affixed in a cube structure: top, bottom, all sides. I thought my hens were safe. They were not. Whatever the predator was, it was small enough to get in through these openings as well as get into the hen house through a 12x12 hen door and kill at least one hen in there. This all happened in broad daylight. We were not at home that morning. There was nothing left except feathers scattered all around the enclosure and just outside the enclosure (the wind had begun to blow when I discovered I'd lost my sweet hens, so I don't know if the feathers outside the pen had blown there or been left there by the predator. For the record, I have tried and cannot begin to bend the metal as it is here.

What kind of predator has this kind of strength, yet is small enough to have gain passage where it did?

 

[Wildsky]

I'm so sorry for your loss... I have no clue. Some smaller animals have amazing strength for their size.

(I can't even hold my goat in one place and he is half my size)

 

[A Carolina Chick]

A dog can. My huskies broke out of the kennel I bought them on the first day.

 

[vicki2x2]

I would guess dog too, since it was during the day. I have seen many of those kennels chewed up by dogs. They are cheaply made, light weight. If you have the heavy wire, made to withstand heavy duty use, you will not see that type of damage. I bought kennel panels through a fence company almost 20 years ago and they are still in perfect condition, in spite some heavy duty chewers.

Of course, I have on occasion also seen coons in daylight and they might be capable of this destruction too.

 

[PotterWatch]

That would be a pretty small dog to be able to fit in that opening though. Would one small enough to fit really be able to do that kind of damage?

 

[Chirpy]

I have said several times here that most chain link is not predator proof if the predator is a dog. I am so sorry you lost your chickens. That is so heart wrenching especially when you did your best to protect them. Chain link will keep out most 'normal' predators.

My 100 lb. mutt would rip up our chain link fence just like your pictures in just a few minutes. Then, she would squeeze through the really small hole and escape. She was a big dog and got through a small hole.

 

[Jaybr]

I used to raise my hounds in chain link kennels (have upgraded to welded wire ) I used to wrap them with bailing wire or heavy zip ties everywhere the chain-link meets the poles. If a dog can get their nose through they'll keep at it and get their whole body through. I've even had hounds and beagles that would climb out of a 6' kennel and could push through a wire roof while hanging on the side of the fence.

I would guess a fox or coon could do the same, but not likely during the daytime.

After lessons learned raising hounds for 20 years I built my chicken run to be dog proof and figure that will work for everything but bears.

 

[birdy_num_nums]

That was my thought, that it was dogs. DH insists it must have been coyotes. Recently I've come into the knowledge that we have bobcat close by, and that they are exceptionally strong (not to mention 'small-ish').

So it still also could have been 'coons?

This happened several years ago and I have only just gotten chicks to replace. This time 11 of them. And this time they are getting an 8x8 veritable fortress for a hen house. And will be in there unless we are here to supervise them in their run (more on that later).

 

[ivan3]

Yes, sorry for your loss. What is your general location? Did you find any fur/hair at all (on fence/hen door frame)?

 

[skeeter]

maybe it was a human animal