What killed my chickens and ducks this way? WARNING graphic pic included.

[Brian Rinaldi]

that photo screams weasel

 

[Butterfly65]

Oh my Goodness! So sorry you're going through this. We are new to chickens and in the process of building a run. I am embarrassed to say I had no idea that we have two types of weasels here in the Florida panhandle. Just Googled it. I grew up in So. FL. So all this country living is new to me, but we have plenty of predators and need to work hard on making our run predator proof.

 

[duckmanjim]

Weasel or mink and the hole is your clue! Thats the point of entry and you must make sure a hole cannot be dug again! Mink and weasels kill for fun as much as for food.

 

[ramboas93]

Ya I'm gonna say weasel also. My aunt had her entire flock one year decapitated by weasels. Also seeing how you know you already have them and given weasels reputation I'd say if you set a camera it would come up weasel.

 

[quacksandclucks]

Did you ever determine if the predator was definitely a weasel? Same thing just happened to my only 2 ducks. A pekin and a rouen, both had just turned 8 weeks old and hadn't been outside but for maybe a week. They disappeared with only pekin feathers left behind, and it was probably right around dusk, we arent totally sure since we had left their door open not thinking much about it since they usually stayed inside the pen without any issues. I would normally just close the door when it started getting dark and no problems, however, we found them not huddled in their house as expected and no sign of them whatsoever. We searched the woods for an hour or two without any luck other than a few feathers behind their pen in an area i had never seen them walk before. The pen is in our front yard, about 15 feet from the part of our hill with trees and brush, etc. We live in ky. Weasels arent something we hear of or even see, mind you, i have heard they are very stealthy but still, 21 years of life and my pappaw is a farmer and i have yet to hear complaints of any weasels ever. Now raccoon, opossum, hawks, coyote, owls, even bobcat are more of what i expect to see. In fact, when we first looked at the house there was a coyote walking up the hill beside our driveway. Only seen it twice though and that was in december or january. We did find my pekin (jemima) about 20 yards away from their pen, my husband wouldnt let me see her knowing how i am with things like this but he said she had blood around her neck, no feathers plucked(just the ones she lost while fighting or being carried off from the initial attack), she was completely intact pretty much. My rouen (pickle) we never saw any feathers at all until today we found one that appears to have been from his wing, it had blue coloring. But this happened monday night and its thursday so im not sure why a singlw feather has appeared all of a sudden. Anyway, my heart has been broken ever since and im determined to fugure out what may have attacked them in order to better predator proof my chickens. Any ideas? Sorry for hijacking this post btw!!

 

[Butterfly65]

I have no answers for you since I'm new to country life, but I just wanted to send you over a big hug in your time of mourning.

I FEEL your heart ache and I know you will be able to figure out what happened. You go Girl!

 

[quacksandclucks]

Thank you nergis, it truly means a lot! I am new as well, at least to raising my very own livestock. We are setting traps and trail cams up in hopes of figuring it out!

 

[DuckiesAndChick]

Raccoon/weasle both attacked in the same night because of the neck of the duck and decapitation of the one chicken.
Weasels make a hole in the head or around chest/neck area and suck the blood out
Hope this helps im having the same problem with my ducks

 

[danieljames2k16]

Do you live near a river if so I could be a minsk if that how you spell it we had one and it kept on ripping our chicken heads off and eating the head and leaving the body until we caught it

 

[quacksandclucks]

The closest water to us is probably a mile or 2 away. Its a large wooded hillside and a road with farms on the other side away though. So i assume its possible, im just not sure how far one would be willing to travel or how it would have even known we had ducks. Thanks for the help, i appreciate all responses. My husband set up a few traps, just wondering how you catch a minx? (Idk how to spell it either!)