All my chickens are gone

[jojo54]

I went out this morning to feed the girls and all I found was dead bodies all over the chicken run. I had 25 girls and all but 5 were gone. I have a four foot fence all around and nothing had dug under and all the gates were all shut. Something jumped over the fence.

I took a photo of the footprint I found. Any guesses to what it was?

My neighbour thinks it was a cougar or bobcat. I have been numb all day. I caught the survivors and gave them to a neighbour who has chickens in a covered run and dogs in her yard so they will be okay. Thay were so scared - poor things.

All I have left is Lulu and she isn't happy with me because I won't let her out of my sight and won't let her stay out in the yard by herself.

It is so quiet and lonely in the yard.

 

[digitS']

Whoa! Whoa!

I am sorry, JoJo!

You have lynx in your part of the world, right? You can try google image searches for "bobcat tracks" and that sort of thing . . .

It happened a lot like that to me once. Coyote . . . I spent the night in the woodshed with a 357 and saw nothing. Shot him in broad daylight after he'd killed a few more chickens but used something I could hit him with - 22.

Not a coyote, seems to me. The size made me think of lynx or cougar.

So sorry.

Steve

 

[Wisher1000]

I'm sorry! Bless your heart, I've been there and know how it feels -- rotten! I'm no expert on tracks, but it looks like dog (big dog) to me. A big cat would kill a couple and take them away to eat them. A dog will kill until there are none running. I hope you get whatever it is and can get your hens back.

 

[vfem]

I believe it is a coyote. The paw pattern suggests canine charaters, not feline. Here's a site with some track info and it really lines up with the coyote including size.

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10370_12145_43573-146656--,00.html

I am so so sorry this happened. I wish I had some suggestions, but moving them away and not keeping your chickens out in your yard for a couple of weeks the coyote will move on. Chances are it would probably return, and most likely brought other coyotes with it to have gotten away with so many birds. I really hope hanging on to Lulu will get you through.

I'm still drained after losing my favorite rooster Alpha today. Something made him sick and he went down hill so fast I finally had to put him down. Its so hard to not cry over them, they are our babies too.

 

[Southern Gardener]

Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry! I agree with wisher - I think a dog would more likely kill all and leave them but a cat would catch kill & eat. I hope you catch whatever it is.

 

[digitS']

My "hand" is over 4 inches.

I don't suppose that is true with your hand. Right now, I'd like to think you have very small hands.

(And, that someone in your house knows how to use a gun. But, that may just be me.)

digitS'

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

i'm thinking something in the canine family also. too defined on the paw pads and any cat prints are usually round and the pads not as well defined from the fur that lines the paw for silence. domestic dogs usually leave a pile of bodies and feathers showing they were doing it for sport. wild dogs will usually take the bodies to eat. it may not have been just one animal to take away that many birds, probably a small pack.

in our area we have coyotes but they believe they are some sort of wolf cross since they seem to be slightly larger than the usual coyote. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coywolf i've nearly run one over on 2 separate occasions so i know how large they get! both times it has been in areas that are just slightly forested but still close to town.

 

[LVVCHAP]

I am sorry for your loss. I lost a hen a few weeks ago due to a hawk. The rest wouldn't come out of the coop for a couple days. I cannot help you on the print.

 

[thistlebloom]

Oh Jojo, I'm so sorry
The tracks look canine to me. The toenail marks and the triangular shape are good indicators. You do have big coyotes in Canada, but you also have wolves, and that print could possibly be from one. I second Steves sentiment about having a firearm at the ready.

 

[MuranoFarms]

I'm so sorry this happened! I'm having hawk problems right now, so I know just how you feel. Can you call game commission to trap it?