Entire flock found dead UPDATE post 23

[lizrndiver]

My husband and I just redid our entire fenced run area. We changed out cattle fencing for 1 X 2 welded wire that was buried in the ground and went up 6 feet,

We have occasionally had problems with all varieties of predators, but usually only one or two hens was killed.

At this time I had a flock of 24 hens and 1 rooster. I came home from work to find the entire flock dead inside the run. No obvious breaches in the fencing. It was about 30 minutes after dusk.

The hens were stiff so I guess they had been dead a while.

Only one or tow even shows any marks or signs of being eaten.

There were some around the water, but most were scattered around the pen. One was in the coop still.

I just don't know what would do this to an entire flock. No way a dog or coyote could have gotten in.

Any thoughts?

Liz

 

[frostbite]

hawks, owls, eagles, can come in from above, crafty raccoons could climb the fence perhaps. Odd they didn't find your flock earlier. I'm so sorry, that's quite a devastating loss! It can happen any time, to anyone. It's hard to build a fort knox, the predators out there are persistent, especially when they're hungry.

 

[lizrndiver]

Would owls kill and leave chickens? I did hear an owl tonight.

25 chickens seems like a lot for an owl though.

 

[Sahwithchicks]

It sounds more like a coon to me, though usually for me they strike at night... I've had coons kill 5 a night just to eat one or two, and just kill the others for fun, I guess. That is a lot of birds for any thing to kill all at once. I am so sorry!

 

[donrae]

Weasel comes to my mind. I have no personal experience with them, but they'd easily fit through that size fencing and I hear they're blood thirsty little buggers. One of the few animals that kill just for killing, not just for food.

 

[Roxannemc]

Actaully dontt know how high your fence is but really sounds like a dog or 2 Wild animals kill to eat usually .an entire flock that was for fun.Beagles can climb a fence not sure if they can climb a really high one
Wonder if coyotes can clinb?

 

[cafarmgirl]

Is the pen covered? If there was no cover it could easily have been a coon, fox, even coyote. 6 foot fence is easy for all those things, and more, to get over.

 

[kacky]

Sound like it is most likely a mink or other weasel. We once had a mother and her baby get into a pen and kill over 20 ornamental ducks. They do not eat but a little of what they kill and they will come back to their kills. Look for a tiny puncture hole in the top of the head or around the neck or face. Also the fact that many of them were around water sounds like mink as they can swim very well and they also have a habit of pileing their kills up in one place. They can be trapped we caught ours in the same day as they killed our birds. Good Luck!

 

[lizrndiver]

How did you trap it?

 

[t8562005]

What kacky and donrae said it was a mink or a weasel.