Daytime attack killed entire flock

[Chickie pants]

I tried to have a run without a roof and all I got was dead birds. So far with my new run and coop I haven't had any trouble, but if I would make a mistake and not out them up at night bad things could happen.

 

[Howard E]

To the OP Paul, your predator is almost certainly a weasel, mink or one of the cousins. The way you found your birds is almost textbook. They kill by biting the back of the neck with few other visible marks. They also keep attacking and killing as long as anything moves, which is why some find entire flocks dead from a single attack, with almost nothing eaten. A couple good sources of info.....and similar info can be found about minks from the same sources, or your own state's DNR or fish and game:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-tailed_weasel

https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/conservation/wildlife/Pages/LongTailedWeasel.aspx

Next question I would have the OP was if they had noticed any problems with rats or mice in the coop before the attack.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I couldn't agree more with @Howard E

 

[DyingPhoenix]

Agreed as well on mink or weasel. I'm thinking mink. Had 15 out of 18 chickens killed in just 2 or 3 hours if that by a mink. All would be dead if I didn't wake up and catch it in the act. Chickens looked untouched except for some ruffled feathers around their heads and necks and small bites. There was only one spot of blood between all of them, and it was about the size of a quarter.

It'll remember where it got all those chickens too!

Mine happened at night but I've seen them hunting around water in the middle of the day as well.

About the only thing you can do to protect from mink is making sure the run is tight. No holes that a mink can fit though whatsoever, and that can be hard-and expensive. No gaps, nothing. They can surprise you on what they can squeeze through. I like hardware cloth. I don't think a big mink could squeeze through chicken wire but a weasel could.

The mink I shot that night was very large. It fit through a small gap in the fence where I hadn't covered the chain link.

Edit: Ehhhh. I dunno about chicken wire either... Check this out.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

You mention the run is 6'.... but you don't say anything about the cover to the run.. is it covered? or open?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Sounds like a weasel. Mink in my experience will eat, take away, parts of the bird where weasels are content with lapping blood from the wound. First time I was visited by a mink it took parts of three young birds leaving three alive. Second time was broad daylight and continuously was coming back to it's fresh kill making it easy for me to shoot it.

@Cullen Bohannon I use to think the same as you in that skunks only came to take the feed or eggs. I can assure you the older males will indeed kill and eat your birds. Broad daylight a cock bird was facing off to a huge male skunk. The bird was loosing the battle as the skunk postered low awaiting openings to attack the birds neck. He eventually would have bled out if I'd not gone in the pen with a hatchet, quickly thought better of what I was about to do, and pushed the skunk out of run. It was not afraid of me by any means. Seemed more annoyed than anything as it grunted and waddled off slowly. They are fast diggers, it had dug a 5 inch opening to slide into run in short order.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

I've been keeping chickens for 10 years in suburbia without a problem. The run is 6 ft high 2 x 4 welded fencing buried 4 inches into the ground. The chickens have scratched holes up to 4 inches deep under the gate. The roof is heavy duty plastic fencing with 1" holes made for keeping out deer. I shut them in their coop every night shortly after dark. A few days ago they were all killed in a very short time around 3:00 on a sunny afternoon. I found all 10 of them scattered around their run with small bites on their heads or necks. Nothing was eaten or torn. They were still warm and without rigor mortis when I found them. There was no blood on the ground and not much in their feathers. The fence is sturdy and was intact. We live on a lake and I have seen mink on the shore about 100 yards from our property, but the coop is 100 yds from the shore with the house between it and the lake. We have a woods and a swamp across the street. Years ago my wife saw what she thought was a weasel run across our driveway. We're not sure what was the culprit but we suspect either a weasel or a mink. But I thought both were nocturnal. Will 3 ft high chicken wire added to the welded wire fencing keep whatever it was out?

Predators are no good to anybody's flock. Sorry about your loss and troubles.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

I am so sorry about your flock. What an awful thing to have happen.
I'm in agreement with the others who have suggested weasel, mink or relative of those species.

 

[Chickensandmore445]

fisher cat No two ways around it I got attacked they wipe out the whole flock just for fun They go for the head and bite them

 

[MINDANAO DAVE]

I've been keeping chickens for 10 years in suburbia without a problem. The run is 6 ft high 2 x 4 welded fencing buried 4 inches into the ground. The chickens have scratched holes up to 4 inches deep under the gate. The roof is heavy duty plastic fencing with 1" holes made for keeping out deer. I shut them in their coop every night shortly after dark. A few days ago they were all killed in a very short time around 3:00 on a sunny afternoon. I found all 10 of them scattered around their run with small bites on their heads or necks. Nothing was eaten or torn. They were still warm and without rigor mortis when I found them. There was no blood on the ground and not much in their feathers. The fence is sturdy and was intact. We live on a lake and I have seen mink on the shore about 100 yards from our property, but the coop is 100 yds from the shore with the house between it and the lake. We have a woods and a swamp across the street. Years ago my wife saw what she thought was a weasel run across our driveway. We're not sure what was the culprit but we suspect either a weasel or a mink. But I thought both were nocturnal. Will 3 ft high chicken wire added to the welded wire fencing keep whatever it was out?

They do come out in the daytime. It really sounds like one or the other.