Dead Rooster

[Axe610]

Hi everyone. Last week some thing killed my rooster. The body was all there but the neck and head was gone. Any information would be great. thank you

 

[LeafBlade12345]

I know that owls, raccoons, weasels, mink, and ermine will sometimes do this. Good luck!

 

[centrarchid]

Did the feathers on rest of body looked slobbered on? Were feathers consumed or plucked off to form a ring around carcass?

 

[Axe610]

Some feathers was on the ground but it did not look like any damage to the body. Did not see any blood on the body it just looked normal.

 

[centrarchid]

Was kill at night (rules out hawk)?


Most of the smaller mammalian predators will have to wrestle chicken dislodging feathers over a larger area. An owl like a Great-horned Owl will typically grab chicken by neck leveraging it down quickly for a kill by what I think is cervical dislocation. Owl bites appear in proper location for that.

 

[Axe610]

I would say early morning , they always sleep in the coop at night.

 

[centrarchid]

Can a chicken get in and out of coop at night assuming they want to?

 

[Axe610]

yes but for the time i have had him I have never seen him out when its dark out. I am up until about 1am every night and up at 6am

 

[pa2chitown]

It sounds like a racoon, weasel or mink. I wanted to make sure before i responded, so i searched it:http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/w...ng-the-culprit-from-the-crime-scene-evidence/

Sorry for your loss...

 

[pa2chitown]

My last post had a link to "what killed my chicken", and requires permission to post. Im not sure if it will show later or not.
It was likely, racoon, weasle or mink...

Sorry about your loss.