The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: taz08 on June 14, 2013, 08:02:48 am

Title: what can it be
Post by: taz08 on June 14, 2013, 08:02:48 am

i decreased my flock a few weeks ago
bringing the total here to about 100 hens
over the last few weeks about 30 have gone ,,
its sometimes just 1 or 2 ,, but thens about 5 or 6 goes
a few feathers nothing more left
it cant be foxes ,, not enough damage
so what can it be >:(

Title: Re: what can it be
Post by: in the hills on June 14, 2013, 08:36:21 am

Think it could be foxes.


A neighbour with quite a lot of hens had a visit from foxy about 2 months ago. Caught him in the middle of them (free range). He had killed about 6 birds. Seen nothing of him since. She spoke to me a couple of weeks ago to say that she was missing birds in a regular, steady fashion. No sign of feathers etc. though they range over her large garden and surrounding fields so not easy to find. She assumed they were going broody and would appear with chicks. Called me a couple of days ago to say that she had caught fox trotting quietly up her garden with her pekin cockerel in his mouth. One other hen was missing.


She now assumes most of her losses must be from foxy picking them off a few at a time. No great slaughter and no piles of feathers. Seemingly a very controlled and quiet business.


Our butcher lost 30 hens recently in a similar way. Picked off one or two at a time in daylight over the course of a few weeks.


Hope you sort it.

Title: Re: what can it be
Post by: graham-j on June 14, 2013, 03:55:09 pm

Hi,they take them back alive this time of the year for the cubs to play with.

Graham.

Title: Re: what can it be
Post by: mojocafa on June 14, 2013, 07:47:22 pm

Hi taz

Sorry to here that,

Can you leave the dogs out, would they alert you to something ?

Didn't you have something similar happen before?

Hope you get it sorted
Mojo

Title: Re: what can it be
Post by: taz08 on June 15, 2013, 06:34:11 am

thanks all .. all ok this morning ,,all accounted for ,, but still being carefull,,
mojo it was eggs that were being taken before ,, got that sorted ages ago

Title: Re: what can it be
Post by: sokel on June 15, 2013, 07:17:26 am

Could it be a mink ? We had a mink on the river a few years ago and sometimes it was only the odd chicken vanished  and other times a few where killed

Title: Re: what can it be
Post by: taz08 on June 15, 2013, 09:53:49 am

we had mink stealing the eggs when we first moved here ,, so might be,, didnt think about them!!!

Title: Re: what can it be
Post by: Beewyched on June 15, 2013, 09:59:02 am

I agree with the mink theory - we had a few mysterious disappearances when we lived Up North .  The holding had burns on 3 sides, so idea environment for them, but we never actually saw any - just the evidence  :(