EMERGENCY!!!! HEADLESS DEAD CHICKENS!!!!! Warning, picture included.

[seth22]

Its as gruesome as it sounds. In the past month I've lost 7 chickens and only found 3, dead in the coop. The weird ones are the last 2 I found today inside the coop. They were partly skinned and nothing missing but their heads! Its so weird, I have no idea whats going on! And yes the coop was secure n nothing broke the coop or burrowed in that I can see.

 

[sourland]

Something has to be breaching your security. It doesn't take a large hole for many predators to gain access.

 

[Pullet Press]

First of all, I'm sorry for your loss, and second, (If I were talking to you, I'd be shouting) THAT IS SO CREEPY!

 

[Playfulroost]

I had similar experience in fall of 2019. I would open up the chicken house to find a dead bird missing only its head. Sometimes the head was gone along with the entrails, leaving all the meat and feathers. Sometimes I would find them dead outside back behind the chicken house. I was losing RIR roosters I was growing for meat and they were huge, about 10 pounds. I lost about 9 birds. I was told by the neighbors that it was a skunk. I didn't believe them until I saw the skunk one evening at dusk. He was walking along the fence between my yard and my neighbors. He found a hole in the fence, saw one of my big birds, and started to go under the fence. I was only about 8 feet away. Without thinking, I yelled at the skunk, "These are MY chickens. Go somewhere else." The skunk looked up at me, stopped going towards my bird, and continued following the fence. I could have gotten sprayed but all I could think about at the moment was defending my birds.
So I know how you feel. Look for a hole under the fence. Skunks dig under. Skunks usually kill at dusk or at night. They can't see well, go mostly by smell. I think the best way to protect your flock is to get the solar predator lights. I have heard that one great way to protect your chickens is to put coyote or wolf urine around the pen. Some people have tried human urine. Clean out the coup. The predator is attracted to the smell. Put one inch chicken wire around the base extending out by 12 feet. So when they try to dig under they hit the wire and give up.
I am so sorry for your loss. If you love your birds as much as I love mine it is difficult to lose them in this way.

 

[Sammi_0411]

Foxes have a tendancy to rip chickens heads off if u have them in ur area really sorry for ur loss x

 

[Rldad1]

Check your security, it could be an owl.

 

[seth22]

First of all, I'm sorry for your loss, and second, (If I were talking to you, I'd be shouting) THAT IS SO CREEPY!

Yeah I kept telling my wife its the Chupacabra

 

[centrarchid]

Raccoon

 

[centrarchid]

Raccoon


Will probably be back around same time tonight as last night. Fix access points. If not fixed, then move birds to another location like garage for night.

 

[Sarkchick]

Raccoon

I agree, raccoon. They can stick their grubby little hands thru the smallest hole and grab a chicken.