We lost 3 more hens including one of our white leghorns. I’m assuming that it is due to some kind of flying predator as I found a carcass inside the electro-net fencing. In just over a year I’ve lost 5 birds out of 40, so I guess that isn’t too bad. I have moved the coop to what is going to be their winter home. This is an area close to the house that has some brush and low bushy trees. This should give them cover from flying predators. Plus come spring I warn to clear this area to become our vegetable garden. By running chickens through here the ground will have added fertility.
We also lost one of our hives. I was out by the hives on a warm day and I noticed that one of them had a few bees flying in and out, but the other didn’t. I opened up the hive with no activity and found there were 5 mice in the there. They went running after I opened the hive. The hive with bees still in it got all the frames with honey. Lesson learned is that mice can get through a 3/4″ opening.