Fox attack

[redchicken]

Quote:
As far as I've ever seen from years of watching and studying wildlife, fox don't 'group'. Coyotes and stray/feral dogs do. A fox will also normally snatch its food and run to a safe place to eat it (like a den for the kits) because they're just not big enough to stop much from taking their food from them.

If anything, since you say some bodies were still there, that's more like a 'coon or opossum if your birds are in a fenced-in run, and a dog(s) if free-ranged.

I thought they went around in groups cause one night alot of our ducks got eaten and I saw about 4-5 foxs it might be coons but we checked the woods behinds us and I saw a hole that looked freshley dug up

 

[redchicken]

I know it is not stray dogs cause there are no strays around us the only dogs near us are our neighbors but they let there dogs out only in the afternoon and they have a fence around their yard

 

[SpottedCrow]

I was gonna say that too Yonaton...
You don't see packs of foxes...

The only thing I can think of is momma's teaching the babies to hunt...

 

[foxtrapper]

Quote:
Vintage dog attack. A fox kills, carries and eats. Dogs "play" until dead, and then go play with another.

The dog will be back, looking for more fun.

 

[redchicken]

Quote:
Vintage dog attack. A fox kills, carries and eats. Dogs "play" until dead, and then go play with another.

The dog will be back, looking for more fun.

we found 3 of the 9 bodys 2 had bite marks on their neck the other one had its hole head and neck eaten so it might partly be a dog but what about the other 6 bodys?

 

[Scrambled Egg]

So sorry to hear that

 

[Yonaton]

Quote:
Nope, foxes don't pack. A freshly dug hole is something a dog might do to try and cache something, like a bone or a dead animal it will want to eat after it's a little more 'ripe' or to simply try and keep other animals/dogs from finding its kill.

You never did say whether the birds are in a run or free-ranged. If they're in a run, it was most likely a opossum or coon or skunk (the skunk would have dug under the fencing of a run, they can't climb very well, their claws are meant for digging dirt and tearing up rotten logs and such for grubs and hibernating ground animals and such). For some reason, many predators eat the head first of small prey they catch and kill. Watch a cat with a mouse...the first thing it starts on (usually) is the head. Same goes for chickens killed by coons, opossums, skunks, hawks, and dogs. As for *why*, who knows but the predators, but I figure it's not much different a reason then because that part might be considered the easiest and most delectable part, just as we humans often go for the meat first and trim the fat on a steak (not the best analogy, but hopefully makes sense). Opossums tend to stick around as they're killing chickens, often just eating the heads and going for the next chicken to kill, leaving bodies lying around. Dogs will do this too, especially if they don't feel threatened or scared of anything shooing them away very soon.

Quote:
Remember too, that a dog or pack of dogs can cover a huge distance in their wanderings. It doesn't necessarily mean a neighborhood dog is or could be the culprit.

 

[redchicken]

Quote:
Nope, foxes don't pack. A freshly dug hole is something a dog might do to try and cache something, like a bone or a dead animal it will want to eat after it's a little more 'ripe' or to simply try and keep other animals/dogs from finding its kill.

You never did say whether the birds are in a run or free-ranged. If they're in a run, it was most likely a opossum or coon or skunk (the skunk would have dug under the fencing of a run, they can't climb very well, their claws are meant for digging dirt and tearing up rotten logs and such for grubs and hibernating ground animals and such). For some reason, many predators eat the head first of small prey they catch and kill. Watch a cat with a mouse...the first thing it starts on (usually) is the head. Same goes for chickens killed by coons, opossums, skunks, hawks, and dogs. As for *why*, who knows but the predators, but I figure it's not much different a reason then because that part might be considered the easiest and most delectable part, just as we humans often go for the meat first and trim the fat on a steak (not the best analogy, but hopefully makes sense). Opossums tend to stick around as they're killing chickens, often just eating the heads and going for the next chicken to kill, leaving bodies lying around. Dogs will do this too, especially if they don't feel threatened or scared of anything shooing them away very soon.

Quote:
Remember too, that a dog or pack of dogs can cover a huge distance in their wanderings. It doesn't necessarily mean a neighborhood dog is or could be the culprit.

They are free ranged but these guys always would get in the coop before dark the foot prints I saw were right next to one of the bodys and some more next to a pile of feathers they did not look like dog they looked like fox or coon

 

[ivan3]

Sorry about the loss. If you've seen foxes (in whatever combination) then the assumption that the attack was carried out by foxes becomes something more than an assumption. The fact that you found a partially dug hole and that six? were completely missing would also indicate (In My Humble Experience) foxes.

You might want to check this thread if you haven't already.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=31544

Also, I just want to put in a good word for NOT underestimating the variability (both in times of, and injuries resulting from) of predator's behaviors. The only thing one can determine with certainty is that if our poor chooks are on the menu SOMETHING will adjust their schedule to attend the feast.

Good luck retiring whatever it is!

 

[foxtrapper]

Quote:
Vintage dog attack. A fox kills, carries and eats. Dogs "play" until dead, and then go play with another.

The dog will be back, looking for more fun.

we found 3 of the 9 bodys 2 had bite marks on their neck the other one had its hole head and neck eaten so it might partly be a dog but what about the other 6 bodys?

Oh a dog, or a couple of dogs, may well eat some of the birds. They are tasty and its giving the dogs a thrill. Especially chasing and biting a running bird. The bite is frequently on the head as that's an easy part to bite. Do the instinctive rat shake and many times the body snaps off, leaving the surprised dog with a head in its mouth. Crunch and swallow. From the dogs perspective "oh boy, not only is this fun, but it tastes good too!"

I'm not saying you couldn't have had some scavangers come by later and do some additional damage to dead birds. But generally, it's not too likely until the next phase of the sun (day to night for example).