murder in the chicken coop!!

[sweetmilk]

I am very mad at my self right now!!! Last night, the only night I ever forget to close the chicken coop door, a fisher cat got in there and now I only have one guinea fowl left. It is a tragedy. That is just my luck. Well it was pretty crapy to get up to this morning. There was feater every where on my lawn. Anyway I just had to vent.

[QueenEsther]

Ah, I'm sorry! I do feel your pain. We had a band of raccoons get ALL of our chickens last year and were so traumatized by it that we haven't gotten any more yet. It is a really bad way to start the day and be faced with that! 

[sweetmilk]

thanks for support

[Momsteader]

Awwwh :(  We lost chickens last week to flooding! I never ever thought THAT would be an issue, but a flash flood hit our area. We were out in the coop pulling them out, but just weren't fast enough. It went from inches to feet in minutes. It's hard not to feel uber responsible since they are under your charge. :(    Be gentle on yourself and start over. :)

[mattemma04]

Sorry for your loss! I think we all forget at one time or another. I did a few days ago,but luckily got out here before the coons did.

[BeckyBird]

So sorry for your loss! I can relate to your saddness, as I've lost many chickens over the years. It is never easy, and there was a time last year when I wanted to get out of chickens altogether. We've had snakes, hawks, rats, foxes, and the absolute worst--loose dogs--kill our chickens. The last great massacre: last year, a neighbor's dog broke into 3 of my coops, and murdered 20 of my chickens. Some of them I had for 4 years, and they were my pets. The dog ripped the chicken wire off the frame, killed the chickens, and left the bodies all over the yard. It killed them for sport, and it broke my heart!

(Sorry to hijack, but this brings up bad memories!)

Anyways, I've gone through and completely remodeled the coops, using screws and heavy duty wire, with openings no larger than 1/2" to prevent snakes (yes, they can squeeze through 1" holes and eat chicks and eggs.)

Please don't beat yourself up over this. I was so angry with myself last year, for building weak coops. The chickens would still be here if I had done things right, ya know? But, what's done is done. All you can do now is move forward, and think about getting some more guineas for your lone one. Good luck, and I hope you feel better

[SuburbanHippie]

I'm so sorry! 

[sweetmilk]

well  iam going to redo all my fence area and seal my coop and start over.And hope that this time will be better!!!

[mumm]

I'm so sorry. 

I've had a raccoon discover my chickens after two summers and I usually don't shut the coop door in the warmer months.  The dang racoon just climbed up the pen fencing and down the otherside and went into the coop.  The girls put up such a fuss I was out there really quick and they were all okay, but wouldn't go back in the coop. I headed back to bed planning to keep an ear open for the next atttack.  It came about an hour later at 1 am and I was out there fast, but one chicken was pretty damaged and we had to kill her.  Now I need to shut them up in their coop every night and worry the raccoon is going to figure out how to open the trap door.  The raccoon has not missed a night since the original attack and is making me crazy hanging around the coop.

We also have fisher cats but they seem content eating the rabbits.