Even as I sit down to compose this article, it doesn’t feel real. I still have a numbness about me, still have dreams that this never happened.
But it did.
On January the 8th, I set out to do my morning chores. Per my routine, I visited both of the duck houses first. All was well and normal; food and water and happy quacking. I did think it odd that the roosters didn’t alert the hens to my approach as they always did, seeing me coming through their window. And when I set the feed and water buckets down in front of the door to unlatch it, the unusually quiet coop made me uneasy. I figured something was up, but I never would have dreamed of seeing what I did when I opened that door.
Total devastation.
I couldn’t breathe and instantly my mind was racing. Every last one of my 40 chickens were laying on the floor, most of them appearing unharmed but most certainly dead. My heart had been torn out of my chest- these are my babies. And not one- not two- but ALL of them were gone…ALL at ONCE. If you’ve ever suffered the loss of a pet, you know how incredibly painful that is. I felt as if I’d lost my favorite pet 40 times at once. It was overwhelming.
What happened?!
I looked to the ceiling. The new insulation we’d put up was torn up a little, but no obvious sign of entrance by a weasel and I knew there wasn’t a space anywhere that was large enough for one to get in. So I looked to the floor. Did something somehow chew through the floor? It had felt a little spongy, but it had been that way for the past 3 years- had it finally given in? But I knew there was no entrance from under the coop- for one, it’s buried under several feet of snow- but underneath that, it concealed by wood and fencing to keep predators out. Finally, I see air moving behind a section of insulation and it hit me:
The door to the run.
Upon taking a look outside, I see this:
We have a small door to the run, but we had not been using it. So it was nailed shut at the bottom and my husband had covered it with tar paper to keep any air out. A bobcat which I’d photographed just a couple of days before had been investigating the chicken and duck coops for nearly a week. His tracks were everywhere- several trails going in and out of the woods, up and over the fences (the snow is so deep that any animal can walk right up the bank and over the fence), and even on top of the duck houses.
Truly, I felt no threat.
I’ve raised chickens my entire life. We’ve lost them to wolves, coyotes, bear, lynx, bobcat, fox, weasels, pine marten, mink, hawks, falcons, etc- we live in a densely wooded area and predators and other wildlife are abundant. We know how to protect our livestock from them. And we accept the fact that we will probably lose a few chickens each year since we choose to free range- and ask anyone around here who owns poultry, they have had their coops raided at least once and have probably lost their entire flock just like this at least once- if not several times.
I thought I knew better.
But the fact of the matter is, it doesn’t matter how many years you’ve done something, nature will find a way to show you that you simply don’t know it all. I’d never dreamed that this bobcat would discover that behind that tar paper would be a door. And that not only could he use his crafty claws to pull that door just enough to pop one of the nails- but to then begin chewing on the corner of that door until he made a hole just large enough to slink his body through and cause utter destruction to my flock, taking only 2 with him and leaving behind the rest. Claw marks in the insulation, feathers everywhere, and several chickens with no visible injury told me that this was a terrifying, relentless attack that for some resulted in death by shock.
Yes, this 25-30 pound cat can chew right through a door.
Apparently I had not done my research.
So where do I go from here?
After getting past the initial shock of this tragedy, it was time to start planning. It would be so easy to just give up. But my faith drives me to look for the good in the bad, even when the pain is so great that you feel you cannot move forward. So I started to research…everything. And then I was able to formulate a prevention plan tailored to my location, livestock, and lifestyle. Hopefully I can help you do the same.
Let’s Talk Prevention
1. Get to know the predators in your area.
-And by “get to know”, I don’t mean go out looking for them and introducing yourself. Instead, do a “background check” on them. Learn all of their dirty little secrets. What are their capabilities? Their favorite foods? Size? Do they travel in packs or alone? What do their tracks look like? Are they nocturnal?
-If you are new to the area or you simply just don’t know what is common where you live, talk to your neighbors. Talk to the local DNR. Google it! And remember that just because you haven’t seen one or had trouble with them in the past, doesn’t mean that you never will. When I photographed this bobcat, I got within 5 feet of him. Living in NE Minnesota my entire life, I’d only seen a bobcat and lynx from a distance while driving on the road. I’d never considered them a threat to my chickens as they simply weren’t commonly seen- notoriously timid and never coming close to the house. Clearly not the case with this particular cat.
-If you are part of a hunting family as we are or simply keep a gun to protect yourself and your animals from predators, get to know the laws. Bobcat have a season, just like deer or bear. Lynx are protected by law and cannot be hunted or trapped. So get to know which animals are able to be hunted and when. Acquire a small or large game license where applicable. You do have the right to protect your livestock, but give your local DNR a call when tragedy strikes or a problem animal is evident. Either they will live trap the animal for you and transport it elsewhere, or give you permission to do so. By educating yourself on hunting regulations and adhering to the law, you can better prepare yourself for when it comes time to make tricky decisions that might result in big legal trouble for you. Proper preparation is the best prevention!
2. Take a look at your own livestock.
-What do you choose to raise? What are their capabilities when put under attack? Do they have anywhere to flee to? Can they fight back? Are there particular breeds of these animals who are better equipped at resisting attack? These are all questions you can consider while examining your livestock. And if you own relatively defenseless animals such as chickens and ducks as I do, do you have a protector in place for them? A common term heard in the homesteading/livestock world is an “LGD”, or a “Livestock Guard Dog”. My little dog Luxor is great for the months that he can be outside keeping an eye out for predators. But since we see snow for well over 6 months in my part of the world, a small dog like him who lives inside during those months on the opposite end of the house from our coop location- not very handy. In addition, those predators don’t fear him.
I need a good LGD.
Enter: new puppy.
“Cedar” is our new female Blue Heeler who will be raised with our new chicks and taught to watch and protect them. Will she live outside when it is -20 degrees? No. I’m not stupid- although people like to jump all over you when you mention having an “outside dog”. We’ve got a nice enclosed porch where she can warmly and comfortably reside during said weather. Close to the coops where she could alert us to suspicious activity. Something as simple as that could have prevented disaster that night.
{Please note: if you are unfamiliar with dogs and are without experience in training them, taking on a new puppy is a lot of work and should not be embarked upon without proper prior instruction. Research breeds thoroughly beforehand in order to make an informed decision on which dog would best suit your own situation, and keep in mind that with your purchase could potentially come the cost of paying someone to train it for you.}
3. Predator proofing that fits your lifestyle.
-You do not have to go out and buy a prefab chicken coop or spend hundreds of dollars upgrading your current one. I believe in using what you have or simply making smarter decisions to equip yourself against predators. For example, I would suggest using screws rather than nails when securing anything. Something that has been secured with screws is nearly impossible to simply pull off like you might be able to with something that has been secured with nails {lesson learned}.
-Keep entrances to your coop/barn to a minimum. One door for you and one for the animals should be sufficient. Use heavy duty or spring-type latches on your doors. Nimble-fingered animals such as racoons can easily manipulate a simple hook and eye latch. Make sure your doors are strong. Larger animals like bears can easily use their weight to push through a weak door. And block off any unused entrances. Use 1/4″‘ hardware cloth to cover unused entrances, and then secure a large piece of wood or sheet metal over the top of that for additional protection.
-Use 1/4″ hardware cloth to completely cover any windows. Again, use screws {with washers in this case} to secure rather than nails or staples. A friend of mine who had a bear devastate her flock a while back {who had gained entrance through the window} took several 3″ screws and, on the outside window sill, screwed them from the bottom up so that all along the ledge of the sill {every 1/2″ or so} the sharp ends of the screws created a barbed fortress against anything trying to rest on or push against that window. What a great idea.
-Any hole or space in your coop/barn that is 1/4″ or larger should be secured with 1/4″ hardware cloth. This includes your ventilation, around the windows, holes that have been cut for extension cords or other, and most certainly around the fencing of your run. Predators, like weasels for example, can easily squeeze through the smallest of spaces. Don’t underestimate.
-Housing and runs should be protected below ground, as well as above. Use 1/4″ hardware cloth all the way around the run and coop, burying it 12″ below the surface to protect against digging predators.
-Invest in deterrents or make your own. Just as a farmer might use a scarecrow in his cornfield or an orchard might use a dummy owl to keep unwanted predators away, you can apply the same idea to your homestead. Shiny, suspended objects such as hanging wire, pie tins, CDs, etc {as many gardeners have been known to use against birds} have been used to keep away the winged predators. Motion lights or flood lights make it more uncomfortable for nighttime predators to approach. I’m personally excited to invest in some Predator Control Lights for my own coops/run. I like that you can set them at certain heights to protect against specific predators. They’re relatively inexpensive too, although you will likely need one for each side of your coop/run. People have used these with much success. And they’re solar powered. Additional options include electric/solar wire fencing, predator urine, playing a radio all night, using dummies, video baby monitors, etc.
-Use the things around you to protect against predators. For example, I’ve now banked several feet of snow against the wall with the small run door through which the bobcat gained entrance to my coop. After securing it properly, I buried it. Anything you can do to make things more difficult for the predators, the better. If you live in the woods like I do and have a surplus of brush, you can use that to create cover and protection for your chickens, both inside the run and out. Use large rocks along the perimeter of your runs, in addition to the hardware cloth barrier.
-Invest in roofing for your runs, covered in hardware cloth, to keep predators from climbing over your fences or from winged attackers.
Moving Forward
After implementing many of these prevention tips ourselves, it’s time to move on. Start over. A family friend recently suffered an injury and was unable to care for her 21 Black Star laying hens and offered them to me. Well, I had already ordered 46 baby chicks due to arrive February 21st. But since I will be raising the chicks in the basement until at least the end of March, my coop would have sat empty for the next couple of months anyways, so I took them. We will get eggs for now, and in two months’ time these nearly 2-year old hens will become our first butchering experiment. It had recently been put upon my heart that we need to start considering butchering due to the inhumane and disgusting treatment of the production meat birds supplying our grocery store chicken, and wanting no part of it any longer. Growing up, I hated butchering and said that when I had my own chickens someday- I would never do it. Unfortunately, things and times change.
Some of our new Black Star hens. I must say, it’s weird having all the same breed. Being someone who always has just one or two of a breed, this is a culture shock for me! But I love them already 🙂
A bittersweet gift from our new flock.
This tragedy has meant considering a new direction for our farm. Since it had been my plan to invest in some true Araucana breeding stock, I’ve had to consider last week’s event and what that would mean for us had we spent hundreds of dollars on just a few birds. Could we sustain that type of a loss? As it was, the 40 chickens we had, being that 80% of them had not even reached laying age, had already required hundreds of dollars of attention, in addition to their initial cost. Therefore, it is most likely that our dreams of raising and breeding true Araucanas will have to be put off until 2015 when we’ve had more time {and money} to prepare them their own special and well-protected housing.
In the meantime, here is what we have to look forward to!
{Breeds highlighted in red are heritage breeds listed in the Conservation Priority List set forth by The Livestock Conservancy}.
Standard Breeds:
{I’ve ordered all females except where noted otherwise}
Black Giant
Black Langshan
Black Sumatra
Blue Red Cubalaya
Buckeye
Buff Orpington
Cochins: Blue, White, and Silver Laced
Easter Egger
Light Brahma
Red Shoulder Yokohama {both male and females}
Salmon Faverolle
Silver-Gray Dorking
Silver Spangled Hamburg
Silver Spangled Spitzhauben {both male and female}
Spangled Russian Orloff
Bantam Breeds:
{All straight run, meaning we’ll likely end up with half males, half females- and that’s okay!}
Blue Mille Fleur D’Uccle
Blue Mille Fleur D’Uccle
Buff Laced Sebright
Cochins: White Frizzle
D’Anvers: Black and Quail Belgian
Japanese: Mottled
Old English: Blue Brassy Back, Cream Buttercup, Crele, Fawn Gold, and Red Pyle
Silkies: Self Blue and White
Sultan
In conclusion, it’s important to remember that tragedy can strike at any time and anywhere, regardless of experience. But preparation in prevention can go a long way, and equipping ourselves with knowledge pertaining to our own location, livestock, and lifestyle can allow us a great measure of success against predators and resulting potential loss.
Thank-you so much for taking the time to learn along with me. I hope that my devastating experience can aid in preventing something similar happening to you.
And always remember to be humble, share knowledge, and give support. We can do so much more together.
Shared at:
Tuesdays With a Twist #42
The HomeAcre Hop #53
Down Home Blog Hop #71
From the Farm Blog Hop
The Backyard Farming Connection #63
Tuesdays With a Twist #42
The HomeAcre Hop #53
Down Home Blog Hop #71
From the Farm Blog Hop
The Backyard Farming Connection #63
Erin, I am just heartbroken for you. My stomach just sank as I read your post. I’m so sorry that this happened to your chickens. I don’t know what else to say, I’m speechless. I’m glad that you have the Black Stars. It looks like they lay nicely. I can’t wait to start hearing about your chicks in Feb.
Again, I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine how hard this has been for you.
Thinking of you,
Jen from Hens in the Yard
Thank-you so much for your kindness, Jen. 🙂 The Black Stars have made things feel a little less lonely- before them, it was very eerie going out to take care of the ducks, knowing the coop was empty and what had happened there. I’m so used to having chickens and the busy stuff that goes along with taking care of them that I felt very lost. Although I do feel a bit lost- it’s a little bit better I guess :(.
Thanks again 🙂
xErin
Wow. I am sort of speechless right now. I cannot even fathom what that was like. I am so very sorry that this happened to your flock. I had no idea that certain predators could be that crafty and cause so much devastation. I’m going to take another look at my coop tonight.
We have a LGD who is a great pyr and sheepdog mix. She lives outside with the chickens and so far has kept them safe, thank goodness. Her hair gets really furry and long in the winter so she does great in the cold (we did bring her inside though last week when it was -20 wind chill). I don’t think I could ever not have a LGD now that we have Duchess. It just gives me peace of mind.
I am really sorry for your loss, Erin. Your new girls are really pretty and I hope they can help you while you try to move on from your loss. You’ll be in my thoughts.
Thank-you so much 🙂
I was highly recommended a Great Pyr, but unfortunately they are VERY expensive and I couldn’t even find one in Minnesota :(. I’ve heard they have a relatively low metabolism for their size, which was very appealing! We’d first considered (after that) a Blue Tick Coonhound due to the fact that this particular critter was a bobcat and Blueticks are infamous for keeping away predators…but would they then want to hunt my chickens as well? I wasn’t sure. And I’ve always wanted a Border Collie since having one when I was a kid. Our Border Collie spent her entire day watching and herding our chickens- we never had to chase chickens in at night, she would herd them right in and keep predators away. So that is why we went with the Blue Heeler (which is a cross between a Border Collie and an Australian Cattle Dog).
Hopefully it all works out 🙂
xErin
I’m new to following your blog, but I wanted to express my sympathy in losing your entire flock. I raise rabbits in addition to chickens and recently lost all of my rabbits to a dog attack. It is heartbreaking, but you are right to find the good in the bad. Your new puppy is adorable and I love the name Cedar! 🙂
Thanks for your kindness, April! Yes, nothing worse than loss- and those dogs can be just as bad as any other predator, can’t they? 🙁
xErin
Sorry to hear of your loss, but glad you were positive and learned something from it. Keep on livin the dream!
I will, thank-you 🙂
xErin
Oh, I am so sorry to hear this. I never would have guessed that one animal could take out a flock in one swoop. I can’t imagine what it was like to walk into that coop.
I look forward to reading and seeing photos about cedar and the new chicks come February. I’m with you on buying less ans less meat from stores. We raise pigs now. We’ve butchered chickens before, but we weren’t prepared well enough. It was a lot of work and we had never even seen someone do it to know the hints and tricks. We will most likely try again in the future, but for now, we just eat the eggs.
I’ve never lost the entire flock at once- I remember a weasel getting about 20 chickens when I was a kid, but not them ALL. It’s a horrific image that will likely never leave me.
I’ve been trying to convince my husband to get pigs…so far he’s not going for it. I figure one animal at a time ;)… and a good butchering teacher is key. It is a LOT of work. I plan to skin them and can all of the meat in my pressure canner. We’ll see how that goes!
xErin
I am so, so sorry. I can’t even imagine what that must have been like. I’m glad you’re forging on, though. I think you’ll have good luck with the Blue Heeler. My husband’s parents had one on their farm, and he was the best herder ever. All they had to do to get the cows to move was call the dog’s name, and the cows knew what that meant. This even worked for several years after the dog had died!
Yes, I’m very excited to have a herding dog again. Thank-you so much for your condolences 🙂
xErin
Oh Erin,, so sorry.. unfortunately I too Have made this discovery… heartbreaking for sure..
I was wondering if you figured out how to do the 2yr olds. I won’t buy meat birds because I
did once and it took me forever to process. Killing is no problem It just took a long time to
get the feathers off. Thought about using one of those machines. What do you think?
Again.. so sorry
Jean Kopinski
Country Farm Chiks
It’s shocking the number of people who have told me that they too have lost their entire flock at least once before. Horrible 🙁
I’m planning to skin the 2-year olds. I’ve done plenty of plucking in my time (the whole big pot of boiling water, dipping, plucking- MESS) and I’ve heard the machines work well but I’ve never used one myself. I have a friend who has one so I might have to try it out. Otherwise, this will be my first time attempting to skin a chicken. To me, it seems faster than plucking, especially since both my husband and myself have quite a bit of experience with skinning many other types of birds and animals. But I imagine it will be a learning experience 😉
I will let you know if I give the machine a try!
xErin
I’m so sorry for your losses! It’s heartbreaking to read!
Congratulations on your new LGD though…..hopefully it will prevent any future losses and give you peace of mind.
~L
Thank-you so much, Lisa <3
xErin
My kids don’t always shut the doors to their coops at night. They have a 4 or 5 foot tall privacy fence around their yard. I’ve seen coyotes run across the fields behind them and have told them that those coyotes could probably jump their fence. They don’t think so, so I will share your tragedy with them. So sorry this happened to you. My heart would truly be broken too!
Thank-you 🙂
xErin
Oh, Erin, I am so, so sad reading this. How awful! You must have been really devastated. I can’t imagine how you must have felt, seeing your hens—sad. It does make me happy to read about the Black Stars and the new chicks, too, and good luck with your guard pup! I hope all of the new residents help take away some of the sting.
Yes, it is all very bittersweet. 🙂 Thank-you for your kindness….
xErin
I’m so sorry for your loss but am SO thankful for your blog. My hubby and I are searching for the perfect place right now to have a small farm for our family and I’m learning so much! God Bless<3
It is so encouraging to know that I can be of help in any way! Thanks so much 🙂
xErin
OHMYGOSH! I am so sorry for your loss, I can’t imagine walking into that. 🙁 We had a bobcat in our yard last year around this time, it was passing through during mating season and it attacked one of our dogs while she was outside doing her business. She’s okay, thankfully, but I would never have thought about them getting into the coop. Will make sure we take that into consideration when we build ours this spring so thank you so much for sharing your story.
I never thought a bobcat could get in the coop either! But apparently they are very strong, crafty, and determined. Good luck on your future coop 🙂
xErin
So very sorry for your loss, I cannot imagine finding that in the morning. We have coyotes, raccoons, opposom, but no bobcats that I know of. We do butcher our own, but my hubby made a chicken plucker. Oh my, it’s fantastic. In about 10 seconds all feathers are gone, so if you get a chance to use one, take it. You still have to scald, but that’s easy. Good luck with your new flock and the chicks.
Carol
What a tragedy!!! I am thankful we do not have that list of predators that you do, yikes!
An LGD dog seems like a very good idea. Very sorry to hear about your chickens 🙁
I’m very sorry to hear about your chickens, Erin. 🙁 I’ve lost about half my flock at a time to possum…who knew that they could be so destructive? It is heart breaking to know they died in fear.
How awful. I’m so sorry! I can’t imagine finding such a loss.
I’m so sorry for your lost – how devastating! We lost a single hen this weekend and that was hard enough, I can’t imagine losing them all!!
Oh how awful! I am so sorry for you. We were devastated we we lost a few early this spring. It was mostly because we were learning and did not know everything. Thanks for sharing with us at The HomeAcre Hop!
Please join us again Thursday at:
http://summersacres.blogspot.com/
~Ann
A friend had one of the best tips I’ve ever heard- she put a baby monitor in her coop and kept the receiver in her house. At the first sign of trouble, she would hear it, even in the middle of the night.
Before trying this myself, I also had a loss of 15 hens in one night. A few were taken but most were just killed and left in the coop. A rooster and one hen survived; the rooster stopped crowing and died soon after from stress. We still have the hen but she stopped laying, maybe from the stress also. We’ve since gotten a new flock to keep her company. We still can’t figure out how a predator got in the coop- it seems completely secure.
Also, thanks for visiting my soap-making post @ http://katiesfarm.blogspot.com/ Your new dog is absolutely beautiful!
-Katie
I’m thinking about raising chickens, I will put this information to use when constructing our coop… My heart goes out to you.
I just found your blog. So sorry to hear of your tragedy. I can’t imagine losing 40. I had a similar tragedy last July. I only lost 5 but it was still an awful heartache and experience. I had hatched all but one and considered them my feathered pets. I started over with just 7 but they are all different. So sweet and so much fun. Good luck with your new arrivals.