What killed my chickens?! 10 in one night (graphic pictures included)

[zsimpson]

OK, that is where I thought we were heading. It was an unfortunate, costly mistake not to shut the pop door on the coop and a predator took advantage of the security lapse. They live to take advantage of those moments. +1 for the predators for their instincts. We live and learn and hope not to repeat our mistakes.

I personally don't think you need a predator apron around your coop foundation if your coop/barn floor is concrete. If the coop/barn is secure when all the doors are closed, then it's just a matter to make sure nothing else is in the barn/coop before you lock it up. They say a mink or weasel can get through almost anything bigger than 1/2 inch mesh. So I would recheck for any gaps in the coop.

I have the same 2X4 fencing on my chicken run. Do you have any protection on the top of your run? I use bird netting to dissuade hawks and eagles, but I would think any racoon climbing the sides of the fence would not want to try to walk on the flimsy bird netting. If it did, it would tear through the netting and/or collapse it - and I would know from a visual inspection.

The 2X4 fencing is not going to stop a mink or weasel, but I have yet to see one of those coming around during daylight hours. As long as your coop is locked up tight before it gets dark, you would probably be OK. You can spend lots of money on rebuilding a more secure coop and run, but a door left unshut defeats everything.

Now that the predators have a taste for the chciken blood, I would probably put up a trail camera(s) and/or live traps to see what is lurking in the night. Where I live, we would kill the animal rather than freeing them somewhere else to bother other people.

FWIW, I am thinking your attack was done by a mink or weasel. But I only have seen one such attack by a weasel and that was on my rabbits when I was a young boy ~50 years ago. But I know that was a weasel because we ended up shooting it.

Again, sorry for your loss.

Thanks for your advise. They are secure inside barn, although barn itself isn’t that secure as it’s an older metal farm equipment barn. It was a mistake not having pop door shut, but still interested in finding/narrowing down culprits. I will post more pictures being requested by others after a bit, but do not plan on perimeter fencing with concrete slab or netting overhead as of now. Maybe I should do ground mesh for the stinking rats but we’re long past them having their run of the place. I’ve set flat and live traps to see if anything turns up so I can get some definitive answers

 

[cmom]

You have been give good advice. My suggestion is as always, if you have a game camera put it up because the predator will be back if only to investigate then you will know for sure what you are dealing with. Good luck...

 

[aart]

Something small tried to drag carcasses thru fence, 2 here maybe the others also.
Weasel would be my guess.