Barred Rock hen with head ripped off!!!

[SundownWaterfowl]

Well, last night when I went to lock my chickens in, something closed their door, so I opened it up, and then went back out 15 min. later to close up the coop.

Then this morning, as I was making my rounds, I spotted something laying down by the pond, so I finished giving the ducks food and water, and went to see what it was.

Well as I got closer, I saw my only Barred Rock hen laying dead on the ground. Her head was ripped off, her crop was pulled out, and her one side the skin was ripped off and bites were taken out. I am so mad!!!!

Im pretty sure it was a raccoon, because I saw muddy raccoon prints on my new coop that I made.

I have a live trap, that I will set tonight! I dont know what to do with it after I catch it. I guess I will have to shoot it. Ugh!

The first raccoon death of the year. Im going to miss her alot. She was so sweet, and always laid me a jumbo sized egg every day.


Do you think it was a raccoon?

 

[greyfields]

considering you saw racoon tracks, yes

Several predators rip the heads off, but given the evidence, you pretty much have determined it was a racoon already. It will be back, too.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I think that it has learned what time I lock up the coop, and it will come back before the coop gets locked up. I wont be letting the chickens out until I catch it.

 

[bills]

If you do catch it, which I hope you do, you can drop the whole trap into a barrel of water. An eye for an eye method.

Or you could transport it several miles away, and release it. Either way problem gone...

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

eww... i couldnt drown it. I think I might transport it to another family members woods. unless, it looks sickly, then I will have to shoot it.

 

[6chix]

Go for the lead poisoning route. If you don't you will be sorry.

 

[buc]

Quote:
I agree completely, Relocation of a racoon is not the route to go, you might just be relocating the problem.

Given my trapping of racoons last year, my strongest advice is if you trap one do not for a minute think you have this problem solved, continue to set the trap. Last year I trapped and killed 18 of them.

 

[bluey]

I'd nail the carcass to the coop for all the other raccoons and predators to see and post the following sign...

"This is what happens to assassins around here"

 

[mmajw]

Kill it and then be prepared it could have babies that will then come looking for their own food. You may need to keep that trap out for awhile until you catch them all. Good luck

 

[ninjapoodles]

We relocated several to the wildlife management area where my husband hunts, until their sheer numbers overwhelmed us. We set two traps at a time, and they just kept coming! The raccoon flow is beginning to slow now, thank goodness. I hope that's a trend that holds. I swear, the next one we get, I'm having Alex feed to the chickens.