All chickens killed on Christmas!!!

[uglysteve]

My wife's pet chickens were all killed on Christmas. I think it was a Bobcat. One large bird, 10 to 15 lbs, was eaten. The other 5 killed and buried in the straw. The killer had to fit through a 8 in opening, and climb well. It found a small opening that I failed to secure. There are bobcats, mountain lions, ringtails, coyotes, and more in the area.
I think I'm going to take up bobcat hunting.
Any opinions on the killer?

 

[Cindiloohoo]

wish you were here under better circumstances! Did you get any tracks? If you could take photos of some tracks we might be able to help you narrow it down. Other than that it may be a bobcat, but no way of knowing without more details.

 

[chickensrfood]

An 8inch opening? Was it a newborn bobcat? Seriously though bobcats are quite large about the size of a dog and typically leave no trace of their kill. They will grab the chicken in their mouth and run off usually not leaving even a feather.

I would say raccoon they will usually kill any bird they can get and maybe eat one. They like to remove heads. They can climb easily.

 

[foxnthehenhouse]

My vote is racoon also. Had it happen to me last year. It took one and killed the rest. I know it was a coon because i set a live trap the following night and caught it.

 

[chickensrfood]

See if your feed store or Tractor Supply has some live traps. They aren't to expensive and last forever. Trap the nuisance and look at this as a learning experience, and make the coop more secure.

Sorry for the loses especially on Christmas

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

I am very sorry to hear that. Not a Good Christmas present or one to remember anyway. My heart goes out to you both. Secure the opening and set some traps with the chickens as bait..or leave the opening open and set some traps inside..and keep it set for a while. Just because you catch something the first time, not necessarily mean that was the culprit. other things will smell the kill and come by for a free meal.

 

[Hound]

Quote:
I have to say I totally disagree. I lost 70+ birds this year in two bobcat attacks. They only need a hole big enough that their head and shoulders will fit through. An 8" hole is not small. They killed everything in the coops and it was a massacre. They kill and kill until everything is dead, they don't just take one and leave.

Also, raccoons don't typically remove the heads unless they're reaching in and grabbing a chicken. They go for the throat and eat the breast and crop.

 

[chickensrfood]

Ok well I will try to get my 30 lb dog through an 8" hole. Considering a full grown bobcat can't fit into a standard raccoon trap I beg to disagree. The point here is not so much what did it but that the coop wasn't secure and that is why the chickens are dead. Raccoons always go for the head to quickly dispatch the bird at least here in the South and I am referring to bobcats taking free range birds. I have never had one enter a coop because they are secure.

If I lost 70+ birds in two bobcat attacks I think I would have fixed the problem before the second attack. Just saying.

 

[uglysteve]

I was not able to find tracks, the ground was too hard. I was not leaving tracks. I think the killer ate the bird , or some if it, in the coop. There were only wings left and some back. There was one head on the ground. The other birds had there heads. One had some of it's back missing. All the birds were buried in the straw, like a cat's bathroom habits. I will have to do some research to see if there are raccoons in the area. I will try and get a trap. I have read that cats will kill a lot of animals, cover them, and come back to finish it's meal.
My wife and daughter are very upset, these were pets, not meat birds. And to have them all killed at one time is hard on them.
Thanks for the help

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

for your family - what a bad way to wake up.


I also am thinking bobcat. When you get a trap, place one of the buried bodies in it for bait.