Poultry Predator Identification

[bopeep]

Well, we have completely fenced in the coop - I just hate it, because I love having my chickens in the yard! But until we catch or kill this predator, that's the way it's gotta' be. They do have lots of room in their own yard, and a shed to sleep in at night. Lots of bugs and shade, not as much sun as I would like.

We've got NiteGuard lites all around the coop, to keep predators away at night. I believe they work. It's the one that's coming into the yard in broad daylight that I want to get rid of.

 

[jme_cay]

i cant figure out what is killing my animals. a few months ago i found my goat dead. he had a bite mark on his neck, his stomach had been ripped open. then yesterday i found my sons two ducks dead. they were both in the exact same position, on their back and a gash on the side of their neck that was facing down. other than a little blood and a few feathers spread around they were completely intact. we live in a wooded area. they were in a fenced area where our dogs couldnt get to them. im just confused as to what would kill but not eat them. also i would think whatever was big enough to kill the goat wouldve done more damage to the ducks, so im thinking theres more than one type of killer.

 

[bopeep]

The goat sounds like a coyote - maybe something scared it off. But the ducks are something else - strange that there were no other wounds on them. Could they have gotten snake bit?

 

[humpbacks1962]

Bless your sweet heart for this article.

I woke this morning to find a bare spot on my chicken's thigh, feathers all over, but she is alive. Thanks to your exquisite description and common night predators I have seen in my neighborhood, I could tell she was attached by a possum.

Six years old, always slept outside with another one and only a miracle could have kept them safe. First attack ever and it will be the last!

 

[geebs]

Any ideas on what ate a chicken and left it in a million pieces all over the walls of the coop? Two birds... one a pigeon and one a banty ...nothing left but feathers, wings... legs had been removed from the bodies... burrowed under the coop to get in.... There was blood and pieces of chicken (small bits) all over the inside of the coop... It looked as if the chickens
Blew up. It happened at night. There was only two and no survivors... This is a in town coop.

I thought possible skunk... No smell in the coop though.... possum??? ferral cat???

 

[borderman]

Don't mean to offend anyone, but I put golf balls into my nests due to all the chicken snakes I encounter. I live in the middle of a wildlife refuge , so there is never a shortage of pests and varmints. No matter what kind of fork in a tree the snake finds, that golf ball won't break.

 

[KrisRose]

Quote:
Your poor birds

. My guess would be a coon.

 

[Bronnie of the Brahmas]

Thanks so much for this brilliant article. Living in the UK I feel like we have it a lot easier than you guys in the States, because we haven't got bears, raccoons, possums, snakes etc! However I appreciated the pertinent information about rats, mice, cats and dogs.
Thank you

 

[jbrown_14105]

Hello,
Well 2 dead poulets, (black chickens) both the same day and both in the same fenced in area.
when I found them in the afternoon after work....no heads, breast looks gone and almost all the in-nerds gone. The other 6 didn't seem to have any concern...so it must of happened "early" and this was one day I didn't check on them in the morning at 7:00am when I go to work.
Raccoon, Possum, or Great Horned Owl.
No dig marks or anything I can see at the bottom of the wire, no grass "dug" no fence bent...???

Jim Brown
Lockport NY

 

[derbygirl1961]

I just lost 5 of my chickens, I went a way for a day, and they were free ranging. I suspect dogs, as bodies were left and some of my other chickens are missing tail feathers, so catch, kill, and go after another makes sense. After reading this article, I suspect dogs even more.

My real question is...I think one of the five may have attempted to get away by going underneath a shed. The smell...well, horrendous is mild. I can't get to it (and at this point 3 days later in 110 degree heat, nor do I want to) How long til it decomposes. It wasn't the biggest one, which was a cochin, nor was it a bantam, maybe 6 pounds....any ideas or suggestions?