Cats as chicken killers?

[logansmommy7]

I have a few cats, one of which is a newer addition to our farm/family. He is on the feral side, but sort of friendly. We kind of saved him from sure death this winter. Anyway-we had a chicken left headless in our barnyard this morning (after coming out of the coop) and in broad daylight. Anyone with cat problems?? My other cat has lived with the chickens and has been more fearful of them than anything. ????

 

[chicmom]

Well, mostly cats will not bother with a full grown chicken, althought they will kill a younger chicken or a chick.......Ripping off the head does sound to me like a coon......I am sorry to hear that........

 

[Love my Critters!]

With the head missing, it sounds more like a coon or skunk to me. Sorry for your loss.

 

[speakup4kids]

I wouldn't totally cross the cat off of your list of possible suspects just yet... My bengal has a bad habit of decapitating everything he kills. I think he saves the heads and buries them somewhere because every so often I find skulls buried throughout the yard! There is nothing too big for my bengal either, he has been known to go up against coyotes...(not his best idea yet) My maine coon is a big baby and sticks to rodents. It's probably a breed thing...

 

[bufforphfan]

I think it is unlikely that your cat is the culprit. The fact that the carcass was left behind, pretty well rules out canines, bobcats or mountain lions. I would suspect a skunk did it!

 

[speakup4kids]

Do you by any chance know what kind of cat you have? The kind of feral one? Can you post a pic? Certain breeds will kill chickens and very rarely will they actually take the whole carcass. I know that even my Bengal leaves bird carcasses for me...

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I would certainly not put chicks past any cat, but my most hunting cat was attacked twice yesterday by a mama hen. Poor cat only wanted to get in the house. He will drag a rat all over the yard, leaving bits and pieces hither and yon; rarely eats much of it. Pretty much the same for the other two cats and the dog--rats are not well eaten. Some birds are eaten and others nibbled on.

 

[logansmommy7]

This was at like noon-in broad daylight, a skunk or coon? Really? I thought they were nocturnal predators, as well as weasels and foxes.

 

[speakup4kids]

That's definitely something my cat would pull... Watch your cat closely. My Bengal will eat entire carcasses (except the head, which he buries

) of almost everything he kills... gophers, rats, jack rabbits, squirrels, coons, etc...but doesn't touch the bodies of birds. He decapitates them, takes his prize and leaves me the body!