Identifying a predator

Thundercreek · Nov 4, 2014

My young buff orpington rooster was killed today. It was attacked inside their fenced area, it only killed 1 bird, and it only left feathers, some of its insides , and 1 wing. Anyone know what this may be? I am in TN. My plan is to keep my birds in the coops and put a camera out to see what it may be. It also did it during the day. I am thinking it may be a fox??? :barnie

sarahsladies · Nov 4, 2014

Raccoon or raccoons. They can demolish a chicken. That is my best guess- I had pullet a couple of winters ago that suffered the same fate. While I didn't catch the predator I surmised it was a raccoon because a fox could not have gotten into this particular coop and a hawk or owl would have carried it to a tree. We had a few stray cats around from the neighbors, but a cat usually will not eat up all of the carcass like that- I assumed the stray cats are the ones that got a couple of young ones that also died that winter and just ate the head (gross).

maranfarmer563 · Nov 4, 2014

I'm in northern Pennsylvania,fox usually grab a chicken and go. Hawks pluck feathers,pull out intestines,eat the breast meat. A red tail might carry it away

maranfarmer563 · Nov 4, 2014

Raccoons usually come at night.mink also comes at night but they kill every chicken you got in one night. I've had 3 mink in the last 16 years

sarahsladies · Nov 4, 2014

maranfarmer563 said:
Raccoons usually come at night.mink also comes at night but they kill every chicken you got in one night. I've had 3 mink in the last 16 years

Good call- I missed the "it happened during the day part." Definitely not a raccoon.

maranfarmer563 · Nov 4, 2014

I had a hen killed yesterday,he was back first thing this morning to the carcass. You have to put some netting over your fence or at least string some fish line over

Thundercreek · Nov 4, 2014

Thanks everyone! I have seen Hawks around so that is possible. I also know there is a fox around. I have adult chickens that are free range but my Orpingtons are young and actually stay in a fenced area under a lot of trees. I keep them in with my Silkies because my silkies aren't what I call street smart like the chickens that free range. Have had one raccoon but we caught and took care of that. Put a hunting camera out and tomorrow none of my birds will be out of the coops. I hope to find out what I am dealing with and if I need to I can put my Pyrenees out in the chicken area. I have been very fortunate because I have a lot of woods on my property and this is only the second predator I have to deal with. It just upsets me that I did not protect them and he died so horribly.

zazouse · Nov 5, 2014

sorry for your loss
Cameras are excellent tools i use them here just to monitor whats in my area.

Pyrenees are wonderful guardians when properly bred and trained properly i have 4 here and i have 0 losses and i have hundreds of free range birds. other breeds make good farm dogs also, even if a dog does not watch the birds specifically it can be taught to guard the property and you can teach them to be on alert when the birds make a fuss.

Thundercreek · Nov 7, 2014

Thanks! I only have a Pyr because I found her as a baby abandoned. She is great but not my breed. She is doing well patrolling her area!

Belinda7 · Nov 13, 2014

I have something in the yard that is burrowing up and leaving a pile of sand that appears to be tubular little pyramids.....does anyone have any idea what kind of critter might be doing this? I actually have a small diameter fence laid down under dirt and grass, in the coop so I was surprised that it had gone from little piles in the yard, to one in the coop!... and clearly whatever it is must be small, because it dug up in an area that has small diameter fence on the floor covered with dirt!

Identifying a predator

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