Badger attack

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Badger attack

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Leo

Joined: 25 Feb 2011
Posts: 227

Posted: Fri May 03, 13 7:42 pm Post subject: Badger attack

Sometime Tuesday night a Badger ripped a massive holein the back wall of our coop off and dined on our chickens. I discovered the carnage in the morning when I opened up the pop door.

Out of 8 hens & a cock, the cock & 2 hens were unscathed. 1 hen was dead on the floor & 4 others were alive, but with major head trauma & partly eaten.

2 hens died from their injuries within 24 hours & another was despatched. 1 hen survived & is recovering, slowly.

I had no idea a badger would go to such lengths to get at poultry, or that they eat their prey alive. Have had chickens for a few years, but never seen anything so brutal; quite shocking.

Anyone else had this happen?

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Sat May 04, 13 5:34 am Post subject:
My mate had something very similar happen to one of his chicken sheds. I think that its a fairly unusual occurrence but now you have what amounts to a rogue badger, you'll need to take steps to stop it from happening again. Electric fence maybe?

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Sat May 04, 13 7:43 am Post subject:
How could you tell it was a badger?

Ty Gwyn

Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4563
Location: Lampeter

Posted: Sat May 04, 13 9:14 am Post subject:

Rob R wrote:

How could you tell it was a badger?

That was my thinking,as badgers usually go for the liver.

gardening-girl

Joined: 25 Feb 2009
Posts: 6024
Location: Somerset.

Posted: Sat May 04, 13 9:58 am Post subject:
We have had similar experiences.One night, a very large badger(judging by the claw marks)pulled the back off our goose shed,also have taken broodies from the coop. Just don`t get me started

woodsprite

Joined: 20 Mar 2006
Posts: 2943
Location: North Herefordshire

Posted: Sat May 04, 13 10:23 am Post subject:
You should see what they do to a cast pregnant ewe. Horrible killing machines.

Bebo

Joined: 21 May 2007
Posts: 12590
Location: East Sussex

Posted: Sat May 04, 13 1:15 pm Post subject:
We've lost chickens to a badger. We know it was a bagder because there is no way that a fox could have ripped the hole through a chain link fence, try to tear a hole into the shed all around the sides and then final succeed in ripping the door off. Slightly different from a fox kill as well - most of them had the breast ripped out.

Leo

Joined: 25 Feb 2011
Posts: 227

Posted: Sat May 04, 13 7:02 pm Post subject:

We are sure it was a badger, seen the prints in the snow over several winters. The damage to the coop was considerably bigger than a fox would have needed & fine wihte hairs on the rough edges of the wood, along with long, deep claw marks where the wood had been pulled clean off.

All the hens that died had major head injuries, presumably panick flight in a confined space. All were badly bitten & some had been chewed, many around the breast & under the wings. 2 hens were scalped & 4 had swollen eyes & heads. From the bite marks, this was a sizeable jaw, looked like it had bitten at them as they passed him in panick.

I can't get the image out of my head of when I opened the pop door, dying hens piled up inside the door, but not dead.
They are now in a different, stronger coop, & closer to the house.

Bebo

Joined: 21 May 2007
Posts: 12590
Location: East Sussex

Posted: Sat May 04, 13 10:53 pm Post subject:
Lining the inside of the coop with chicken wire can help. We've had it once where a badger has managed to rip a plank out but hasn't manage to get through the wire to get in.

Lorrainelovesplants

Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne

Posted: Sun May 05, 13 8:32 am Post subject:
We have also had it - went for an ark with 8 6 week olds in it. John saw the badger in the garden the night before and thought it was cute. They have also pushed over one of my hives attempting to get in for the honey, but the bees drove it away (and we had hundreds of dead bees as a result).

Leo

Joined: 25 Feb 2011
Posts: 227

Posted: Sun May 05, 13 7:32 pm Post subject:

From your replies it sounds like this type of attack is much more common than the 'Badger enthusasts' would have us believe!
The coop is now useless, since the attack, but the remaining chickens are in a smaller, more robust coop right next to the house.

We also have a trio of tiny banties, who now have their night time accomodation in the house!

The flock was free ranging in the daytime, & other than the odd fox trying it's luck (hasn't suceeded yet), they have done well. I guess it's their night time security we need to bump up. Might try the wire inside the coop, thanks for that.

The injured hen still survives, doesn't look to have more than superficial injuries & a black eye, but looks very depressed.

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