Any idea what predator would do this?

[mnollar]

I woke up today and all on my chickens being killed and buried. 2 of them have their heads eaten off and the rest just buried under some straw. I live in Southern California so we do have skunks raccoons possums,and I wouldn't doubt foxes or Bobcats. we live about a half a mile from the wilderness but we are in a residential area so big animals like mountain lion Or coyote wouldn't come down here I don't think. they were perfectly piled Under straw in nice little piles. I will attach look at some photos of the crime scene. anyone have any ideas what do this?

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[kocho]

Oh wow. No idea. But I'm sorry for your loss..

 

[kelp]

I would say some kind of cat. Sometimes fox will bury and come back later also. It's weird about the head because that could point to a raccoon or weasel. Whatever buried them will be back so a game camera or sit out and wait. You need to check out your laws to see what steps you can take to eliminate the threat to future flocks.

 

[NEChickenNoob]

Bears are known to bury a kill. I would tend to think dog though. Something that would feel comfortable burying a kill within a ton of human scent. Most wild animals will drag their kill to what they perceive as a safe place.

 

[AngryRooster]

Bears are known to bury a kill. I would tend to think dog though. Something that would feel comfortable burying a kill within a ton of human scent. Most wild animals will drag their kill to what they perceive as a safe place.

Most likely some sort of dog or some sort of large cat. I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[jwcloud]

I would have to say cat , when you say buried are they buried deep or just kind of covered up also does the site smell of cat pee most bobcats will cover up there kill ,back up to it a pee on it to mark there cache and come back when they get hungry , look around your coop for tracks cat tracks are round with a distinct W in the bottom pad, canine tracks are oval looking with toenail marks in front of their toes , hope this helps , Im new to owning chickens but ive trapped/hunted predators all my life ,,,,,,, Fluff

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Since you live close to a wilderness area in California, and all the chickens were killed in one night and then hidden under straw I would guess a cat, but not just any old cat. My money is on a mountain lion. Call the DNR, file a complaint and you may get reimbursed or at least the green policeman may confirm my hunch. And if nothing is ventured and if nothing was gained it's still OK. But the life that you save may be yours or a family members'.

good luck.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_cougar_attacks_in_North_America

In 1911 a cougar killed a 3 year old inside his family home in Brownsville, Texas.
A 5 year old child in Montana was killed in his yard in 1989 while riding his tricycle.

All in all, skiing, jogging, biking, horse back riding, and walking on public roads seems to be the best way to get yourself killed and eaten by a cougar, they don't seem at all adverse to being in close contact with humans, as long as humans don't see them. In that respect they seem very much like leopards. I suspect that the rapid movement a jogger, skier, or cyclist makes (to a lion) looks like fleeing prey thus triggering a mountain lion's attack instinct.

 

[NEChickenNoob]

Since you live close to a wilderness area in California, and all the chickens were killed in one night and then hidden under straw I would guess a cat, but not just any old cat. My money is on a mountain lion. Call the DNR, file a complaint and you may get reimbursed or at least the green policeman may confirm my hunch. And if nothing is ventured and if nothing was gained it's still OK. But the life that you save may be yours or a family members'.

good luck.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_cougar_attacks_in_North_America

In 1911 a cougar killed a 3 year old inside his family home in Brownsville, Texas.
A 5 year old child in Montana was killed in his yard in 1989 while riding his tricycle.

All in all, skiing, jogging, biking, horse back riding, and walking on public roads seems to be the best way to get yourself killed and eaten by a cougar, they don't seem at all adverse to being in close contact with humans, as long as humans don't see them. In that respect they seem very much like leopards. I suspect that the rapid movement a jogger, skier, or cyclist makes (to a lion) looks like fleeing prey thus triggering a mountain lion's attack instinct.

I believe you have your answer

 

[Davlyn]

I just lost 1/2 my flock Friday what a horror scene . they were scattered all around the house, several hens were taken & my male duck. along with the 12 hens left dead behind there was 1 of my yr old Roos & my female duck . we have every perdator here that there is ( most ) . I didn't here a thing ( in shower ) the dogs never barked, Donkey never brayed .

I did not take pic's . Saw my neighbor yesterday as we picked up chicks from our local agway & she lost all but 1 hen, 1 roo , 2 geese & 5 ducks..

I am sorry for your loss.

 

[chrissywhalen]

A few days ago, i went out to my barn to find that three of my four chickens were missing, with only a few piles of feathers scattered here and there, no blood or body parts. I did not see them buried/covered up anywhere on my property... I live in Upstate NY and we do not have bears or large cats, so what did this must have been a coyote or a fox, in my case.

Maybe you can rule out coyote/fox based on my slightly different scene.