What would do this to my hen? ***WARNING*** Graphic photo

[microchick]

My first thought was raccoon but then yes, I agree, if a raccoon can pull a chickens head through the fence can it also denude it that way and leave skeleton, skull and musculature behind and make off with just the skin and feathers? Maybe it could but then again, I agree with the post about the bird of prey. If they make a kill and the prey is too big they will leave it and come back BUT I've seen Sharp Shinned Hawkes take out birds at a feeder and they always go for the breast first. I found plenty of dead sparrows around my yard but they were headless. Would a BOP be satisfied with just strips of neck skin and feather? Hard to believe.

Smells like a mystery to me. I would definitely set a live trap and bait it with a can of tuna that just has holes punched in it with a can opener so they have to handle it and trigger the trap door (A) or (B) set up a game camera along with the live trap so you can see what is going on incase it doesn't trigger the trap.

Is your run covered? If not it needs to be and you need to somehow prevent the chickens from putting thieir heads through the fencing if it is holed too large.

Also I highly recommend hot wiring around your fence. I know it sounds like you are building Fort Knox but yes, that is what you have to do at this point to prevent any more carnage.

Please remember that for every (you know what) that there is on any forum, there are hundreds of nice people who really care.

Edited by Staff

 

[roamingchick]

I set my live trap, Sadly all I caught was a feral cat that's been hanging around for a few weeks now, thanks to my daughter who has been sneaking it food. However I am 100% certain it was not the cat, I have observed it around my chickens and chicks, while they were out. If the cat was the culprit, it would have plenty of opportunity before now and has never been even slightly aggressive to my chicks. So new plan! I am going to set the trap again tonight but I will catch the stray cat and put it in a pet kennel for the night so I am not catching it again! Also we have discussed maybe getting Game Cams?
However I did more investigating, making sure the chickens were locked in the hen house last night with no access to the run just to keep them safe through the night. I also wanted to be sure the fencing was reinforced and re-wrapped it with smaller fencing hoping to allow less access to my birds and their run. While doing this I found a patch of fur on the fencing, So now I am once again thinking a coon, but again in all my years of raising chickens never have I seen one skinned like that by a coon, normally the decapitate them? But anything is possible, so first my birds safety, I am determined to not loose another, and I will keep trying to catch the culprit or anything preying on my birds.

 

[Shewolf3808]

Sounds like a good and solid plan!