headless puzzle

Date sort Score sort
Romeacresfarm1

Romeacresfarm1

Chirping
6 Years
Aug 19, 2013
130
0
71
Hello, we have multiple high fenced barnyard/pastures as we used to have deer (still have some elk) but the one behind our house and barn is full of ducks, turkeys, chickens and guineas. Some are roosted on high posts, some are on buildings within the yard, some are on the ground but there are a few hundred out there. My question is, once in a while, we find a headless guinea, they are usually half grown ones then last night, one of my baby turkeys who was supposed to be in another enclosure with avian netting over the top but it was found OUTSIDE the fence but still within the high fence. It must have slipped out as it was a small one who could possibly have gotten out the gate but whatever got it had to have been sitting up on one of the high posts to have gotten it where it was found at the back as the guineas are usually near the front by the house and roosting on one of the grow out pens but still within the high fence.
Any ideas???
Thanks,
Kimber
 
Many predators eat the head first as the brain is rich in nutrients. This is a very common practice of the Great Horned Owl.
 
Some hawks will take only the head and sometimes the breast meat out of birds, leaving the rest of the carcas behind.

I had this happen with a bird feeded I once had. I was finding beheaded birds all over the yard most with the head and breast meat missing. I had no idea what was causing the carnage until a neighbor across the street informed me that she was looking out her front door and saw a sharp shinned hawk swoop down upon my feeder and carry off a bird. Mystery solved

Unfortunately most areas protect birds of prey. Your best bet is to cover your run and keep your birds confined. A game camera will catch the culprit in action but short of calling in conservation officials to help you if it is a bird of prey, because you yourself cannot harm a feather on the little murderer's head.
 
I mess with GHO's almost every night. Several anti-owl options used. Most birds simply penned at night and kept clear of pen sides. In my setting I have lots of heavy vegetation on ground which even adult birds will roost in to avoid owls (this seems to work only in pasture type settings. Also dogs work but that option is very expensive.
 
I have had spates where owl control measures came up short. Usually that associated with juvenile birds that all of a sudden started roosting up in exposed locations. The headless condition of kills was standard. Victims flushed frost and dispatched on ground by talons to neck and bites to base of head. Anything weighing more than 1.5 lbs usually consumed on ground. Larger kills visited over two or three night until reduced enough for owl to fly with. I now leave kills out to give more time for getting other birds covered.


Kill below made by adult with one or juveniles helping to consume in first night. It was an American Dominique pullet weighing about 3 lbs.

1000
 
Large f1 savannah cat make short work of an owl. motion sensor water sprayer good option too. Owls hate be wet. Bright blinding lights, and a good dog. Owl tough get rid of. shiny hat on chicken sometimes work, owl think is eye of other owl. Try many things.
 
Hawk was spotted on high tree across the field over looking the west pasture. Do they hunt at night also?
 
If you notice tree owl choose to hunt from, find best climber in neighborhood and send him to tree to hang bells. As many bells as you afford. If you have lots of tall trees on perimeter of property, hang bells as high as you can from as many as you can. You want bells that ring very easy. Your chicken hear, your chicken run. Yes owl hunt mostly at nighg, but will during day to feed chicks, or if food is just too easy to pass up. English is not my first language, so I hope I help enough for you to understand. I see some people in Germany use spiked hen saddles with really sharp spikes to keep owl off back.
 
a LOT of trees surrounds entire property and also 12' - 15' poles for high fences so predators have a lot of high points but we can certainly put the bells on the high points that directly over looks our main pens. Thanks for the suggestion.
 

Similar threads

C
    • Sad
Weasel?
2
Replies
17
Views
1K
CharlotteBEe
C
A
    • Sad
Fox Killed All But 1 Chicken
Replies
9
Views
523
McChooky
McChooky
RubySoho5280
    • Sad
I'm soooo confused
Replies
4
Views
750
RubySoho5280
RubySoho5280
happybooker1
    • Wow
Looking for ideas/suggestions?
Replies
7
Views
348
BigBlueHen53
BigBlueHen53
SpaceyTracy
Pullet gone, pile of feathers and signs of being dragged under fence
Replies
8
Views
920
New duck mommy 2021
New duck mommy 2021

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom