Extremely Small Mystery Predator Kills Chicks?

[DavidLee53]

I woke up this morning to find that something had killed and ate the heads, and insides out of 5 of my month and a half old Old English Game Chicks, leaving only one alive. I found the chicks in almost a bunch in the upper middle of the pen. My pens are solid tin 20" high with rocks around the outside. Above the tin is 2x4 welded wire. So, whatever did this, had to be able to climb up and get Totally through the 2x4 welded wire, and inside the pen.
This has the ear markings of a raccoon, but a raccoon can't get totally through 2x4 welded wire, or can they? I've started several batches of chicks in this pen, with no issues till today.
I have a video camera up and have scrolled through it, but didn't see anything. Now I'm watching it in real time.
Could it be a rat? Will a rat just eat the heads a insides? I don't know. Or maybe a weasel?
Do you know know the answer to this mystery predator?

 

[Shadrach]

I woke up this morning to find that something had killed and ate the heads, and insides out of 5 of my month and a half old Old English Game Chicks, leaving only one alive. I found the chicks in almost a bunch in the upper middle of the pen. My pens are solid tin 20" high with rocks around the outside. Above the tin is 2x4 welded wire. So, whatever did this, had to be able to climb up and get Totally through the 2x4 welded wire, and inside the pen.
This has the ear markings of a raccoon, but a raccoon can't get totally through 2x4 welded wire, or can they? I've started several batches of chicks in this pen, with no issues till today.
I have a video camera up and have scrolled through it, but didn't see anything. Now I'm watching it in real time.
Could it be a rat? Will a rat just eat the heads a insides? I don't know. Or maybe a weasel?
Do you know know the answer to this mystery predator?

Weasels are head eaters. They feed the chickens brains to their young.
Mink is another possibility.
2x4 welded wire won't keep much out. You need to cover the 2x4 with half inch square hardware cloth.

 

[DavidLee53]

Weasels are head eaters. They feed the chickens brains to their young.
Mink is another possibility.
2x4 welded wire won't keep much out. You need to cover the 2x4 with half inch square hardware cloth.

Weasels are head eaters. They feed the chickens brains to their young.
Mink is another possibility.
2x4 welded wire won't keep much out. You need to cover the 2x4 with half inch square hardware cloth.

This is a picture of my pens. In 50 years, I've never had an issue with something climbing up and getting Totally inside and doing this, but I'm with you on the hardware cloth now.

 

[Shadrach]

This is a picture of my pens. In 50 years, I've never had an issue with something climbing up and getting Totally inside and doing this, but I'm with you on the hardware cloth now.

Yup, predators are never an issue until they are, to quote that rather trite saying.
An anti dig skirt if you don't have one is also a good idea. Lots of predators dig in over time.

 

[DavidLee53]

Yup, predators are never an issue until they are, to quote that rather trite saying.
An anti dig skirt if you don't have one is also a good idea. Lots of predators dig in over time.

I already have all that in place if you view the picture. There's tin about two foot high around the bottom and rocks around the bottom a foot wide.

 

[Shadrach]

I already have all that in place if you view the picture. There's tin about two foot high around the bottom and rocks around the bottom a foot wide.

Unfortunately rocks wont give much protection. One really needs a weldmesh skirt (hardware cloth) firmly attatched to the coop walls extending a foot out from the walls. Buried is best, but laid on the ground and pinned works mostly.
Lots of predators are quite capable of moving a rock.

 

[DavidLee53]

Unfortunately rocks wont give much protection. One really needs a weldmesh skirt (hardware cloth) firmly attatched to the coop walls extending a foot out from the walls. Buried is best, but laid on the ground and pinned works mostly.
Lots of predators are quite capable of moving a rock.

The rocks weren't moved and there's no holes dug under the pen. In 50 years I've never had anything move the big rocks to dig under. Like I said in the post, this is the very first time anything has ever been able to get into my pens the way I build them and harm a chick or chicken one.

 

[Morrigan]

You can have a long good run with no predators, until one gets lucky and figures out a way in. Then they will continue to exploit that weakness until no chickens are left.

I've read that a weasel can slip through a hole around the size of quarter. So if there are any gaps, even if they look tiny around the bottom and through the rocks, they can squeeze in. I'd give that area a good going over and make sure there is nothing bigger then a centimeter or so wide.

It's also possible that a rat, a weasel or something in that family has figured out how to scale or jump it way to the top of the tin sheeting and then would have no problem getting through welded wire. Replacing the welded wire with 1/2 inch hardware cloth would solve this problem. Alternatively, you can set up an electric fence around the perimeter -- that's what I did on the portions of my yard where I used welded wire. E-fences work well because once an animal gets shocked, they usually stop trying to get in.

 

[Folly's place]

Rats or a weasel are both good possibilities here. hardware cloth everywhere is necessary!
Mary

 

[Yardmom]

I am not saying this is what has happened to you, but I have an enclosure that I figured I had something small taking eggs out of. Put out a live trap and caught a coon. It had dug out the hay beside the pen and then must have reached though welded wire to the eggs