I don't know what to do to protect them since I still don't know what the heck is taking them!!
Last week, something tried to take peanut. I'll dig up the thread with those details. At dusk.
Today, sometime between 11 and 2, something took Cashew and I think Peanut as well - still can't find her.
We were getting ready for DH's annual work bbq and he was outside a bunch and didn't hear anything. He did see a bird swoop down and the ducks ran for the pond. He thinks it might have been a halk. Our hawks aren't big. He was in and out during that time. The guys got here around 2 and a bunch were on the deck. Anything happened then, they'd have noticed it. I went out to take a group pic and saw gobs of feathers in 2 piles. Handed the phone back and went out to start searching. DH and I did finally find Cashew. I saw no signs of Peanut anywhere.
What I did find... lots of feathers. And an active hole in our yard at the edge of some brush. We'll toss a smoke bomb in that later today.
I'm hoping somebody can help us figure out what is in the yard.
We have a game camera ready to set up tonight, but this thing took Cashew in broad daylight.
This is our yard. Or the part the ducks/chickens use. They don't go much further back than where the pines start (the brown sticks) There's another 2 acres of that behind that they don't go into.
The red blobs are cashew feather piles from today. Purple are peanut feather piles from last week.
From what I can tell, whatever it was took Peanut behind the duck hut and then down the path where the dog interrupted and saved her.
Today, it looks like it took Cashew in the clear part of the yard in front of shrubs they hang out in during the heat of the day. Then took her to the brush by the garage. Through the brush. Little blobs of feathers through the brush. Then a big ol pile of feathers and her body was in that pile by the garage.
I just don't see how a bird would take her into the brush. They can't fly through there. The ducks and chickens get along fine in there, but I don't see a bird going into there. I guess if mine can, no reason a hawk can't either.
The active 'critter' hole I found is along the brush line back by the interior fence chunks
From the deck, out toward the dark shrubs, there's 2 large piles of feathers.
looking toward duck/chicken hut and garage
the path between fence and brush by garage
some feathers in the brush
more brush feathers
giant feather pile and where we found Cashew behind the garage in the brush
more feathers along the fence and some through it, but I'd guess those got there when they were ripped out, not that it was trying to bring her through the fence (but maybe). This fence goes from property line to the garage. I can't walk through it, it is a bit grown up, but isn't too bad.
more of the big feather pile
more of huge feather pile
more huge feather pile
from the feather pile by the big shrubs where she was taken looking toward shed/huts/garage
Her body was intact, but DH said her neck was split and not much was missing from her neck.
here is last weeks thread when something tried to take Peanut - https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/913307/help-me-figure-out-what-it-could-be
DH is going to upload the pic he took and link it shortly.
Last week, something tried to take peanut. I'll dig up the thread with those details. At dusk.
Today, sometime between 11 and 2, something took Cashew and I think Peanut as well - still can't find her.
We were getting ready for DH's annual work bbq and he was outside a bunch and didn't hear anything. He did see a bird swoop down and the ducks ran for the pond. He thinks it might have been a halk. Our hawks aren't big. He was in and out during that time. The guys got here around 2 and a bunch were on the deck. Anything happened then, they'd have noticed it. I went out to take a group pic and saw gobs of feathers in 2 piles. Handed the phone back and went out to start searching. DH and I did finally find Cashew. I saw no signs of Peanut anywhere.
What I did find... lots of feathers. And an active hole in our yard at the edge of some brush. We'll toss a smoke bomb in that later today.
I'm hoping somebody can help us figure out what is in the yard.
We have a game camera ready to set up tonight, but this thing took Cashew in broad daylight.
This is our yard. Or the part the ducks/chickens use. They don't go much further back than where the pines start (the brown sticks) There's another 2 acres of that behind that they don't go into.
The red blobs are cashew feather piles from today. Purple are peanut feather piles from last week.
From what I can tell, whatever it was took Peanut behind the duck hut and then down the path where the dog interrupted and saved her.
Today, it looks like it took Cashew in the clear part of the yard in front of shrubs they hang out in during the heat of the day. Then took her to the brush by the garage. Through the brush. Little blobs of feathers through the brush. Then a big ol pile of feathers and her body was in that pile by the garage.
I just don't see how a bird would take her into the brush. They can't fly through there. The ducks and chickens get along fine in there, but I don't see a bird going into there. I guess if mine can, no reason a hawk can't either.
The active 'critter' hole I found is along the brush line back by the interior fence chunks
From the deck, out toward the dark shrubs, there's 2 large piles of feathers.
looking toward duck/chicken hut and garage
the path between fence and brush by garage
some feathers in the brush
more brush feathers
giant feather pile and where we found Cashew behind the garage in the brush
more feathers along the fence and some through it, but I'd guess those got there when they were ripped out, not that it was trying to bring her through the fence (but maybe). This fence goes from property line to the garage. I can't walk through it, it is a bit grown up, but isn't too bad.
more of the big feather pile
more of huge feather pile
more huge feather pile
from the feather pile by the big shrubs where she was taken looking toward shed/huts/garage
Her body was intact, but DH said her neck was split and not much was missing from her neck.
here is last weeks thread when something tried to take Peanut - https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/913307/help-me-figure-out-what-it-could-be
DH is going to upload the pic he took and link it shortly.
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