Unknown Predatot

[JennLeigh]

Hello
I am loosing my flock one by one. So far, I have found 3 birds with their heads torn off, over the last week. Two outside the hen house and one inside. The heads are completely missing. I have a large coop, with a mixed flock. Turkeys and chickens. I have looked for holes and such but have found none. I live in Western Washington, so not a lot of predators. Hawks, Eagles, Racoons, but there is no access large enough for any of these animals. Does anyone have any idea what might be doing this?

Thank you for any help you can give.

 

[Krugerrand]

Owls are notorious head eaters. Raccoons too, if they are reaching through a fence to grab what they can.

Is there a way for an owl to get in?

I'd recommend getting a trail camera (or two) soon. Then you know what you are dealing with and may be able to capture how it is getting in.

 

[nuthatched]

Can you get pictures of your coop?

 

[JennLeigh]

Owls are notorious head eaters. Raccoons too, if they are reaching through a fence to grab what they can.

Is there a way for an owl to get in?

I'd recommend getting a trail camera (or two) soon. Then you know what you are dealing with and may be able to capture how it is getting in.

I do have owls around, but they can't get into the coop. The first 2 birds were found in the exact same spot. No heads, but bodies perfectly intact, and no where near the walls, for something to reach through. I have tried putting a Ring camera in there but the connection is not great, so I am missing a lot of stuff. I will see if my husband has a trail camera. Thank you for that.

 

[Krugerrand]

I do have owls around, but they can't get into the coop. The first 2 birds were found in the exact same spot. No heads, but bodies perfectly intact, and no where near the walls, for something to reach through. I have tried putting a Ring camera in there but the connection is not great, so I am missing a lot of stuff. I will see if my husband has a trail camera. Thank you for that.

Chickens are known to 'run around' for a few seconds after decapitation, thus the famous expression of running around like a headless chicken.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Pictures of coop would be good. I'm in Western Oregon and we do have a ton of predators. Racoon is most common, but coyote, neighbor dog, cougar, owl, opossum, skunk, bobcat, bear, Eagle, Hawk and Fox are all predators that I've seen on or around my property. Sorry for your loss. I'd leave a big flood light on at night while trying to figure out where they are getting in.

 

[lagrange chicks]

Do you have water near you, this sounds like a mink. A mink can get through a hole tennis ball size.

 

[TOR]

Depending on the size of holes in the run a raccoon can reach and grab chicken pull them and eat head.
Mink, weasel will also eat the heads. Weasel are extremely small fit thru inch. Signs of weasel are small bite marks around neck head area. Mink the larger of the 2 will do the same.

Good Luck