What animal does this?

[wigs]

Hoping someone can help out. This morning I found a dead chicken inside the locked coop. There was a puncture wound on each side of the neck (with some blood on the feathered area around the wounds) but no other cuts or openings or signs of bite marks. None of the bird was eaten. There is a hole, 2 to 3 inches in diameter chewed through the floor of the coop that I never noticed before. I've researched weasel and mink and discovered that they DON'T suck the blood from the animals (as the old myth goes) but eat the back of the head/neck/crop. This bird showed no signs of this. The bird was not found near the hole in the floor (indicating the perp would attempt dragging it through the hole) and there was no feathers or signs of struggle. All other (17) birds are fine but somewhat hesitant about getting off the roost when I opened the coop this morning. I've dealt with stray dogs, feral cats, skunks, rats, hawks and relocate 8 to 10 raccoons every spring. I can recognize the signs and damage of these buggers. I've just never seen this. Anyone have experience with this?
Thanks
Wigs

 

[Shadowfire]

That is really weird. No animal I know of sucks the blood of it's prey (except the chupacabra). Can you have the bird tested to see the fluid content? Pictures of the crime scene would also help. Sorry for your loss!

 

[Wolfefarmyard]

x2

 

[21hens-incharge]

Rat?

I think there are a few critters that can do what happened to your bird.

I am sorry for your loss.

I would set a live trap and game cams up. Oh an I would be covering that hole asap.

 

[Wezdin]

It would sound like a weasel if more than one hen was dead, they kill just for fun

 

[BansheeWildRose]

Snake? or is it too cold

 

[wigs]

Lol...that made me laugh out loud....too cold here in Canada for the Chupacabra!
There isn't much of a crime scene. My coop is sand bottom and there is no blood that i could see. I am going out soon to patch up the hole with 1/4 inch hardware cloth, a cement block on top of that and a 'keep out' sign. Hubby is building a weasel trap. If I see anything I will post again.

 

[wigs]

Hubby ain't messing around!
The hole is blocked but we will still set this trap in a large dog crate and place it in the coop. The birds won't be able to reach it. The crate is large and the chickens can't reach in far enough, but rodents can easily slip through. Fish and hamburger is the meal of choice tonight.
Sorry if this offends but we have had some of these birds for 6 years and they are our pets....with egg benefits of course.
After much more research I've discovered that weasels are great for killing rats. Rats came in 2014, a year after starting chickens and have been a regular nuisance since. We purchased the A24 trap last summer and it seemed like they were slowly thinning out, I am now wondering if it was a weasel all along.
hmmmm

 

[wigs]

 

[Merchris]

We just had a rat problem and got 3 of my little bantams. All it did was decapitate 2 of them, and grab at one of my bantam ducks. We thought it was a small raccoon that got in, then realized it would still be too big. Finally found the small hole where it was getting in. It got my son's favorite little hen and broke our hearts. So, sorry rats, but I got out the rat poison. Now looking into those traps that electrocute them immediately. I feel kind of guilty about the poison, but desperate time and all that...