My chickens are being killed by unknown force, how do i stop it?

Question

aaah, please help! at night, something comes and eats my chickens. i don't know what it is or how it does it, but by morning, some of my chickens are missing! i have a coop, with big windows, which are bounded up by the material from mesh fences. is there anything easy i could do, like spray something or put something there that would make the attacker go away? ive heard like, put a shoe there so they smell the human smell and go away, but i don't know if that'll work. please help me, half of my chickens have died already!

Answer 1

Let them live in the house with you. They're family!

Answer 2

Foxes probably - You need to lock them in properly. If you have a small slide-up chicken door on the coop the chickens may be locked in but foxes may not be locked out so add a proper latch or bolt.

Answer 3

Make sure any holes, and possible entry points are boarded up and not passable for any creature to get through.

At night close the little entry for the chickens, and open it for them every morning.

Maybe get a guard dog. Not sure where you live, but small critters will be scared of a german sheppard... if it's a bigger predator... like a coyote, mountain lion, of wolf... the dog could get pretty injured.

Answer 4

Lock the chickens in securely at night!  Make sure absoulutly nothing can get in or out!  Check all the windows and doors and other possible entry points and make sure they are boarded up.  You can let them out during the day, and then lock them up at night.  I used to have to chase all my chickens and ducks into the coop at night, but now they just go in by themselves when it starts getting dark, and then I just lock the little chicken door shut.  It has worked so far.

Also, I agree.  Try the live traps.  That may work, but drive FAR away before you let it go, or else it will be back the next night.

Good luck!

Answer 5

Sounds like a raccoon to me, they often carry their prey farther away so they can eat undisturbed. Make sure NOTHING can get into the pen, and try investing in a hav-a-hart trap. I used grain for bait, and you can relocate the animals caught, just make sure you relocate them FAR away!

Answer 6

If your coop is not secure, it could be one of many predators.

A proper chicken coop is completely fenced, all sides, and the top and bottom (chicken wire base and roof)

Predators can dig under, crawl over and fly into insecure coops.  As long as they can get in - you will keep losing chickens.

Answer 7

You need to make sure that every access point is covered up and non-accessable.  Then you can put the chickens in a cage-like crate so they are locked up and nothing can get to them.  Good luck and hope I helped!