PaigeWells
Chirping
My double silver laced barnvelder Elvis was killed today. Daytime, outside free range, 10 feet from the open door to the coop and run. I have (had) 13 hens, 1 quail that thinks she’s a chicken, no rooster. We are rural in the mountains of western NC and have everything that eats chicken here… I have had my girls since April with no issues. They are inside a 5’ split rail fence lined with 2x4” metal fencing that they can crawl under or fly over at will but she was killed inside that. A big predator would have to go over or dig under the fence, no sign of digging. A raccoon, possum, mink, weasel sized thing could likely get under the fence in several places. (It’s not a secure fence, just something that keeps my dogs out if they run down there). In 2 years I haven’t seen a single stray dog, mine are in a fenced backyard or inside or walked on a leash as they will chase deer, turkeys, and anything else they smell). I’m thinking no on bear, dog, coyote, fox because they would have taken her carcass. (And a bear would go thru the fence). Elvis was dead around 4 pm, feathers in 4 spots all a few feet apart, she was cold. Her head was still there but her entire neck had been striped of feathers (huge pile of feathers ripped off right there) and looked inward on to me and she was drug up against the fence (like something tried to drag her off but couldn’t get through it). Her crop was torn open (obvious contents in a ball by her undisturbed) and a small amount of her breast area was chewed up but not by a big mouth. Guts had not been messed with at all. Rather a clean area besides the feathers, no blood anywhere. Her neck seemed broken. And she was not buried or hidden, so I’m thinking no on bobcat. I also don’t think hawk, all activity was on the ground and she is a bigish chicken, and up against the fence isn’t bits like. None of the other hens were damaged, I have 12 different kinds of chickens and all feathers were from Elvis. All the other girls seemed calm and normal so this must have happened a few hours earlier, after laying time as all eggs were in the normal spots. The other girls (all adults less than a year) seem fine and calm. It is possible that my husband spooked the predator 2-3 hours earlier when he was in the area but not paying attention to the chickens, he drove by on the gator and stopped 50 feet away to hook up a hose. Any best guesses as to the killer? I’m thinking raccoon, weasel or mink. Oh- no skunk smell, I do have a very good nose and didn’t smell any weasely type scent at the murder scene. For now everyone is on lockdown safe in their EXTREMELY predator proof coop and run- it’s Fort Knox level, (again, rural mountains) with 1/2” hardware cloth buried over a foot and then going out another foot and buried with big rocks. A mouse can get in (and they do) but nothing larger yet. I’m ordering a motion sensor camera tonight but I’m worried because whatever it was, it now knows we are here. I don’t really want a rooster for several reasons, but might consider it. Bless me with your knowledge, oh experienced chicken people who have suffered similar murders…. And yes, my husband thought I’d lost it when I called him yelling “Elvis is dead”…