Can you ID what animal may have done this?

[GypsyHorsegirl]

 

[wvfoxhunter]

There are several animals that could have done that. Just a few are foxes, coyotes, hawks, racoons. What types of predatory animals have you seen around your house?(that may help narrow it down)

 

[TheJadeChicken]

There are several animals that could have done that. Just a few are foxes, coyotes, hawks, racoons. What types of predatory animals have you seen around your house?(that may help narrow it down)

+1 At first I thought some type of canine. What country or state do you live in also?

 

[GypsyHorsegirl]

I'm in NC.. Someone on FB suggested it was rats, which seemed weird to me... We have fox and some people have heard coyotes, but I personally haven't heard any. I had another hen attacked about a week ago, both attacks have been during the daylight, but we have also lost a few that didn't go into their pens at night. If it is a fox what is the best way to hunt it?

 

[dragon98]

A fox would have killed and taken the duck. This is caused by an animal that is not big enough to kill it outright and take it away. Not a fox, bobcat or coyote. This is done by rats or another duck. I've had hens that had wounds like that from an over aggressive rooster and had to separate them. Maybe you should take a look at the drake.

 

[NovaAman]

Yup... I am going with canine also. Thats how my hen looked after being mauled by my own dog!

 

[wvfoxhunter]

Well if it is a fox it will come out in the day or at night. And there really is no way to hunt them that is fool proof. I have killed several by just being in the right place at the right time with the right gun. You can try to catch it in a live trap like a box trap or foot trap but if you have other animals around you might catch more of them than you do the fox. It sounds cruel but you can always place a duck or chicken, that you dont care if it gets killed, in a cage and wait and see because he might come thinking he has a free meal and thats when you give him the surprise of his life.

 

[chickenreferee]

I had a pekin drake attacked by a dog who sustained very similar wounds. I'm going to say dog. My guy was able to get away and hide and the dog gave up chase, perhaps your hen did the same. Dogs are the worst when it comes to doing damage for the heck of it.

Every other predator I can think of would have killed and eaten the duck.

 

[GypsyHorsegirl]

I have 4 dogs but it's unlikey they did it, or at least in the 4 years I've had poultry they've never bothered them other than to sneak into the henhouse for a snack of eggs... The dogs used to be out at night but were barking a lot, so I put them in a stall... about 2 months later two silkies disappeared, just a pile of feathers left behind when they didn't go into their coop at night... so I started leaving the dogs out again... no more hens snatched at night, but then about two weeks passed and a hen showed up bite wounds on her leg and chest during the daylight, so whatever had been taking the silkies got hungry I guess, and brave. ...The hen is recovering in the remaining silkies pen... I was gone this morning, came home and found duck with the other two ducks hovering around her... The drake normally takes off and won't stay close if you are trying to catch them, but he stayed right there with her next to the hen house... we scooped her up, doctored her and them locked all three ducks in a stall. The only thing i can figure is that when she was attacked the dogs heard the ruckus and chased off the predator... Granted it is Possible that the dogs did it... but they could have just of easily finished her off and if they tasted blood (and she was bleeding a lot) I would think they'd have eaten her... My dogs are all older and don't look twice at the birds. I even have chicks and ducklings who they don't even lick their lips over. Given that the birds started disappearing when the dogs were locked up, and it's continuing, I'd say fox... it's the right time of year for kits.

 

[GypsyHorsegirl]

Oh and we don't have hawks.... at least not regularly... We have crows that chase them off.