What is getting my chickens thru the wire?

[John W Blehm]

Over the years I've had problems with just about every predator I can think of in this area.  I haven't had many problems though in about the last 20 years.  Now something is getting some birds and I haven't found out yet what it is.  I'll probably set out my trail cam and see if I can get a photo.  I have a couple live traps near the pens.  I leave them out all the time, but I'll add some bait.

It appears that the birds are pulled thru 2" by 4" welded wire.  A coon was my 1st thought, but a few have been pulled thru 3 to 4 feet from the ground...it looks that way anyway.  Feathers are stuck all around the 2x4 wire opening, but the wires aren't spread open.  Maybe just growing birds that aren't very big are getting caught and the remains of some birds wereabout 20 feet away. 

Have any of you seen this before?

[Kelly Gore]

Looks like a raccoon to me. Climbing up and taking them from the roost.

[John W Blehm]

Looks like a raccoon to me. Climbing up and taking them from the roost.

The problem I'm having is trying to imagine them reaching that far.  Note the spot close to the middle of the door is not near the ground or any roost.  Also these others are about 20 inches from a roost.  Some were close to the ground and those seem obvious, but there really long reaches don't seem possible.

[Mike Gilbert]

I think I would fasten some chicken wire to the outside of the 2" by 4" welded wire.    That should stop them.

[Andrew Johnson]

Pulling them through at that height is a bit puzzling. A raccoon , at that height, would only be able to pull something dead and would've had to been passed up from the ground. Which isn't possible from the outside of the pen because of the safety barrier. So if a coon is the culprit it would have had to of gotten inside the pen to do so. I've seen juveniles get their heads stuck in chain link fences before, so it could be possible for a young raccoon to slip through a 2x4in welded wire, but would have to go head first. Sooo, I would say a single raccoon would not be able to do this alone. All this being said, the same would go for a opossum. So, the trapper heritage in me is almost certain you very well could have a mink or weasel being your thief. And those are the devil to catch, but possible.

[Tailfeathers]

My first thought was mink or weasel too.  Never had an incident with them here but I had someone buy birds me a few years ago that contacted me this year to ask what I thought might have gotten into his set up.  Very similar to yours.  He caught it the very next night.  Can't remember which but it was either a mink or a weasel.  Good-sized one too.  Only difference was it slaughtered all his birds.  Ate the heads off or at least chewed on them a bit & did try to pull a couple thru the fence.

Ironic you should post this today.  I pulled another one of my boneheaded moves last night.  I had a pair of really nice pair of Forrest Beauford Black Langshans and a nice pair of Paul Clevenger Buff Orpingtons left and decided to breed them to get some more before I lost them.  So I put the two girls in a pen about 3wks ago to clean out.  I've been pulling the guys out & putting them in a showcage to do their business when I'm outside on the weekends.

Last night I put them out I got home from the feedstore & went ahead and did my rounds early.  It was misting heavily & I thought I'd get my rounds done before it rained.  Well, I wound up getting pretty soaked anyways as it started to drizzle.  Finished up after dark, moved the truck, & came in to get outta my wet duds.  It was about 0700 this morning when I remembered I forgot to get the birds outta the showcage & put 'em up for the night. 

Yup, you guessed it.  Nothing but a trail of feathers this morning.  Talk about a boneheaded move!

[Mike Gilbert]

Sorry to hear that Royce.   I remember the term Clevenger Orpingtons from at least 30-35 years ago, but I think he was before my time.  I did meet the late Forrest Beauford one time, as he judged a show about 1.5 hours from me.   I hope you got eggs to hatch from those two hens before you lost them.

[Russ Blair]

John it may very well be a sparrow hawk getting in and killing your birds. Last year I had trouble with one and saw first hand it fit through 2x4 welded wire. I caught it in the pen on the ground chasing my young birds, unfortunately it escaped through the back of the pen as I was coming through the door on the front. My current battle is with a darn fox as of late. It happened to get two brown red youngsters today, must be feeding pups. I say that because I caught it coming back again about 3 hours later, this time I had the 22 ready. I don't think it will be back tomorrow 

[Tailfeathers]

Thanks Mike.  I got like a half dozen or so eggs from the Langshan & maybe 3-4 from the BO.  I never did see either male cover the girls but I'm hoping for the best.

I'm still frustrated and disgusted to no end with myself.  I've lost plenty of birds in the past to predators but the idea of those birds being taken that way is just too disturbing.  Imagine a pair birds that size in a show cage and then just sitting there like sitting ducks.  I get the imagine of being in a house on Halloween with Jason & his hockey mask peering in a window before taking a chainsaw to break in.  Still bugs me!

[John W Blehm]

I still have no idea how something pulled or pushed the chickens thru the 2 by 4 wire...no where near the ground or a roost, but I did set out the trail cam and got photos of both a opossum and racoon last night.  RIP

[Tailfeathers]

I'd go with the possum.  They actually look much bigger than they are.  I take it ya got 'em both?  I don't imagine the pelts are in much shape this time of year.  I've got several coons and a couple of coyotes on my wall bit no possums.  Shot one with the bow many years ago and skinned it out but can't for the life of me remember now what happened to it.

You ever eat possum?  That's the only animal I've ever killed that I planned to eat and after skinning it just couldn't bring myself to do it.  I'd probably try it if somebody else cooked it up but dang they are a nasty looking creature!

Coon is pretty good though.

[Russ Blair]

Well looks like I also had a George Jones pestering my grow outs . Apparently he doesn’t know the girl that lives here because if he did he would’ve steered clear. Royce believe it or not my daughter killed one I believe 2 winters ago while out adventuring with her B.B. gun. Our rules are if you kill it, you have to eat it. So at 13 she skinned her fist opossum, my poor dear wife actually found a pretty good recipe off Pinterest I believe. She wrapped it in bacon and surrounded it with apples and I hate to admit it but it actually tasted good. To me it tasted just about like duck, all dark meat and if you got past what you were eating it was fairly decent 

[Tailfeathers]

Russ, I thought for sure you were going to say you put all that on a pine board, bake it at 350 for an hour, take it out, chuck everything in the garbage & eat the board!   

I've actually heard folks talk about cooking ducks similar to that.  I'm not a wild duck fan.  Not a big fan of domestic ducks either but the Pekins ain't bad. 

All that said, I sure hope y'all don't shoot a coyote!  If'n ya do though, let me know how that turns out!  I suggest using LOTS of bacon and apples.   

[Russ Blair]

Looks like it was back in December 2016 

[John W Blehm]

...I take it ya got 'em both?...

Yes and both are going to the landfill.  I've never been one to try new foods and pretty much stick with just what I know I like...like pizza!  Years ago when I worked a the local Chevrolet foundry guys would bring in different wildlife and cook it, but I didn't get in on those dinners.