[pepsi100]

Definately not a bird of prey, the run is covered

My money is on a fox or feral cat at the moment, cant see a rat doing it

[grinling]

how many hens? Is the pophole closed at night? Did she all the hens alive in the morning? Any gnawing signs on the coop? Has egg production gone down in recent weeks? Does she look in at them in the coop after dusk?

[pepsi100]

8 hens, 1 cockerel,yes the pop hole is shut at night, usually by 7 pm, that is about the same time mine go into roost for the night

The hens were all alive when she let them out at 8 am

She went out, got back about 12 noon, found 2 dead birds, heads gone, and the breast and entrails eaten, feather all over the run

She goes into check them last thing at night before she goes to bed, checks the door is locked, shines a torch in the run

No signs of chewing or gnawing anywhere (or digging)

[joyfull]

my money is still on a member of the mustelid family, fingers crossed whatever it was doesn't come back.

[hen addict]

my money is still on a member of the mustelid family, fingers crossed whatever it was doesn't come back.

I'm sure it will be back to finish what it started block every gap even the tiny ones check the roof as well, hope you find what it is good luck

[pepsi100]

There was a fox in the garden last night, it must have been ill, there is vomit every where, it was whining and howling for a long time, just could find it though, it beats me where it was

But this morning all the birds wrere there, unharmed, a bit of the mesh had been tried to get though, but it failed (double stapled and screwed)

[steelman]

I say it was eaten from the inside, but it looks like it went into the body, yes the head had gone

Not quite sure if it was dead then something atre it, alkl I know is what I have been told

She opened the hatch at 8am, then went out, got back at 12 noon and saw a pile of black feathers, the carcass was open at the breast, head gone

I couldnt find any holes for rats to get in the run (low down) but found a hole a cat or fox might get through, between the fence and the run roof, I sealed that with mesh

(I hope I havewnt upset anyone with all these gory details, my apologies if I have)



You say open at the breast? I'm wondering if the hen died and has been eaten by a rat/rats, apparently they go for the crop as they are more interested in its contents than the flesh of the bird. They also go for brains and eat the heads off young pigeon chicks according to my allotment pigeon fanciers.
Sorry for the gory details 

[pepsi100]

Thats right Steelman

I dont think it was rats though, and as the hole was small, I aint sure about a fox, but after looking at how small a gap a fox can get through, it could well be

But all holes sealed up with chicken wire and mesh, all holes sealed up, never found holes or signs of rats though in the run and definately not in the hen house

[grinling]

could well be the fox and it might have tried to take the carcasses and failed, poss due to cockerel. Chickens themselves might well have tried to eat the carcasses.

[pepsi100]

The fox has been sniffing about the past couple of nights, poo everywhere, but he cant get in

I didnt know a cockerel would fight to protect the hens, I would like to think so though

All the hens were in the run, I think the others may have just legged it into the roost

She dont let em out until full daylight and she has had a look in the run now, all in bed by 7pm (at the moment) and of their own free will

[joyfull]

foxes when they have young will look for food anytime day or night.
You mention there is chicken wire - please note that chicken wire is to keep chickens in and not foxes or other predators out, you need a weld mesh which has a thick gauge and small holes.

[pepsi100]

The chicken wire is on top of the welded mesh, the welded mesh is 1 1/2 in square stapled to a timber frame

Yesterday I saw a rat that had been poisoned being eaten by a fox, surely the rat poison would have an affect on the fox (and any cubs) so why would a fox eat a poisoned rat ?

I thought it would be easier for a fox to rake out the bins than go out on the kill in a garden

The council has had rentokill out even more topping up the rat bait boxes, but the rentokil bloke says the foxes eat it as well, dont the rat poison have any affect on foxes ?

I thought foxes were sensitive to poisons and poisoned animals and wouldnt eat them

So far, it has made an attempt at getting in, the wire has been diturbed, but it hasnt got far, glad to say 

I was there to see the pop hole open up today, they flew out squaking and fluttering, glad to be out, then got down to the serious stuff, eating and a dust bath

But I have taken a leaf out of her book, check the run before I let them out, she is a lot happier she has someone to call on if she has problems now

I am glad to helped out and seeing happy chooks

[hen addict]

When we had a rat problem a few years back I had the rat man out from the local council. I was worried my dog would eat the bait, she's a retriever and a right Muppet she will eat anything! He told me that if she ate it all it would not hurt as they have to eat the right quantity of poison in regards to there body weight. So going by that theory Fox's are heavier than rats! I still don't trust that theory and won't put poison down as you hear about dogs being poisioned all the time or are all the poisioned dogs little ones? I'm interested in what other people think in regards to this theory. We have found a way of getting rid of rats but can't say on here as it might upset some people.

Ps the one thing I did learn was that chicken feed is high in vitamin k which is an antidote to the poison. Rats are very cleaver in working that out and will seek out chicken feed.

[8doubles]

could well be the fox and it might have tried to take the carcasses and failed, poss due to cockerel. Chickens themselves might well have tried to eat the carcasses.

Hens can and do cannibalise other dead hens, cute little dinosaurs tho' ain't they !

[pepsi100]

The foxes cant get to the feed as that is in with the chickens, they have access to it all of the time

If I knew that the foxes were eating poison rats, I would be happy with that, 2 problems solved in one hit

i have also been wary of using poisons because of cats/dogs that might decide to eat it, so IF I use any bait or poison its in a bait box

The rentokill bloke told me they are using upto 5kilos  every two days, now, that is a lot, either the rats are enjoying the stuff

I have found several rats that have been killed by it, I suppose for everyone I see there is a dozen that I dont see