Chicken Massacre

[Cameron_8]

As I entered one of my two coops, I was horrified, 7 dead chickens two very badly injured amd a dead rabbit(no injuries maybe a heart attack). The weird thing was none of them had been eaten just killed. They all still had heads, so I'm not sure if it was a raccoon, and I found the opening they got in and it was fairly small. I live in socal and i think it may have been a bobcat, but I'm not 100% sure. Anyone know why it didnt eat any, just killed them?

 

[CluckerFamily]

How big is the hole?
A weasel or mink will kill for sport.

 

[Cameron_8]

How big is the hole?
A weasel or mink will kill for sport.

18 inches by 8 inches roughly

 

[cluckmecoop7]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

 

[BlueBaby]

How big is the hole?
A weasel or mink will kill for sport.

So will neighbor's dog's that get on the loose.

 

[MountainWoman73]

My neighborhood bobcat will take just one chicken if he gets a chance. He usually takes it into the woods and climbs a tree to eat it. He leaves the rest alone. Predators that I know will kill for sport are dogs, foxes, and weasels. The worst for us was a husky dog that once killed 7 hens in under 10 minutes, and didn't eat any of them.

 

[Cameron_8]

My neighborhood bobcat will take just one chicken if he gets a chance. He usually takes it into the woods and climbs a tree to eat it. He leaves the rest alone. Predators that I know will kill for sport are dogs, foxes, and weasels. The worst for us was a husky dog that once killed 7 hens in under 10

My neighborhood bobcat will take just one chicken if he gets a chance. He usually takes it into the woods and climbs a tree to eat it. He leaves the rest alone. Predators that I know will kill for sport are dogs, foxes, and weasels. The worst for us was a husky dog that once killed 7 hens in under 10 minutes, and didn't eat any of them.

I live on a ranch far away from neighbors and the opening was 8 feet up so I dont think it was a dog.

 

[cmom]

So sorry for your loss. My suggestion is to put up a game camera and then you will pretty much know for sure what the predator is. It has probably been lurking looking for a way to get in. I had a bobcat kill 14 birds one night. They were all intact. I got it a couple of nights later when it came back to make another attempt. The predator could have been most any. They do not always eat their kill. I had a fox kill several birds. I eliminated it too when it came back for another attempt. It didn't eat any of the birds but killed several. Good luck...