What predator rips off chicken heads

[BigBlueHen53]

Doing battle with predators is part of owning chickens. I'm sorry for your losses. We just shot an opossum in our hen house tonight, fortunately he had not harmed any chickens other than terrifying them. Apparently he got locked in with them when my husband locked up the chickens for the night. Consider carefully where you relocate your predator, if it's even legal to do so in your area. You don't want to make it somebody else's problem. And you may be sentencing it to a slow, miserable death, putting it in another raccoon's territory. You might call your local extension agent for suggestions. There may be a conservation area where you can release it. Good luck!

 

[Leatherworker]

I am at a total loss and beyond heart broken. On Friday one of my 12 week old chicks was eaten by a predator, today her mom had her head ripped off by what I assume was the same predator.
We free range and live in the country. I have never had issues with predators before and this is new territory for me. I’m unable to get a run built within the next few weeks as I’m 8 months pregnant and my husband is a truck driver and not home.
Any tips on deterring whatever’s getting them?

So sorry about your loss. I would be heartbroken as well. Mine will be a year old this month. They are like my children. When I lived in NC we had possums that attacked our chickens and took heads or chewed necks. This time we built a fort Knox coop.

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

I am at a total loss and beyond heart broken. On Friday one of my 12 week old chicks was eaten by a predator, today her mom had her head ripped off by what I assume was the same predator.
We free range and live in the country. I have never had issues with predators before and this is new territory for me. I’m unable to get a run built within the next few weeks as I’m 8 months pregnant and my husband is a truck driver and not home.
Any tips on deterring whatever’s getting them?

racoons man. first time I ever raised chickens, I had a outdoor coop/ brooder type thing (one of the poorly built wire stapled to wood things, they are probably on amazon for like $120) and one night a racoon got in the yard and just.... opened it?? those things are smart.

 

[myaprilchooks]

Typically, the rooster should defend the hens but raccoons will gang up as well and kill as many as they can

 

[BigBlueHen53]

A rooster may alert/ alarm but is no match for most predators. Some of mine have died trying but I still lost a hen to a hawk as well as the rooster. A raccoon tried to pull a hen through a fence a couple years ago ... all he got was her head but he didn't deliberately take her head off. That's just all that fit through the fence. Agree raccoons are smart and dextrous. Must have latches a five-year old child can't open. Caribiners make latches secure from raccoons, they can open a hook latch or a barrel bolt.