Do You Know What's Killing Your Chickens?

Whether you keep chickens for eggs or meat, keeping them safe is a top priority. If you don’t catch a predator in the act, it can be difficult to know which animal it was, which makes it hard to protect against future attacks. This guide provides clues to help you determine what’s killing your chickens.

• Clue #1: The State of the Carcass

  Examining the remains can be gruesome, but it provides vital clues. Certain body parts missing can point to specific predators.

  • Missing Chickens: If chickens are vanishing without a trace, the culprit is likely a larger predator like a coyote, which will carry the body away.
  • Injuries to the Vent: This often denotes an attack by a weasel. Weasels are notorious for wiping out entire flocks in one night, so if you suspect a weasel, you must act quickly.
  • Wounded Chickens & Missing Eggs: Predators like skunks and opossums will often wound chickens while trying to steal eggs.
  • Body Left Near a Fence: This can indicate a raccoon, which may reach through the wire to grab a chicken.

  A Note on Identification: Lists that claim to identify a predator based on injuries alone can be misleading. Not all predators attack the same way every time. Use these as clues, not definitive proof.

• Clue #2: Method of Entry

  Ruling out which predators cannot get to your chickens is a good way to start figuring out which ones can. Make a list of every security measure you have in place and from there, figure out what is lacking.

  • Aerial Predators: If your coop and run are both covered, it is unlikely that a hawk or an owl is terrorizing your chickens.
  • Digging Predators: Buried chicken wire or other underground barriers can stop diggers such as coyotes.
  • Neighborhood Dogs: Also take note of any neighborhood dogs (or even your own) who might be able to get access to your chickens. Dogs like to chase and harass birds, and sometimes they go so far as to bite or shake the chickens to death.

  Double-check around the area for tracks. While avian predators won't leave tracks, mammals often will.

• Clue #3: Time of the Attack

  It’s virtually impossible to monitor your chickens constantly, but checking on them throughout the day can help you establish a time frame for when an attack occurred.

  Nocturnal predators are some of the easiest to protect against, especially if you have a safety feature like an automatic coop door opener. These openers will let your chickens out of the coop when the sun comes up, and then automatically close and lock the chickens inside at sunset. You won’t have to worry about remembering to lock the coop up, and this will give you peace of mind when it comes to nocturnal predators.

  Contact us today or visit our website to learn more about our automatic coop door openers!