Good Grief - A Massacre!

[chad]

Woke up today to discover that 7 or our 12 layers were missing. I got home late last night and closed up the coop without checking.

We found 3 carcasses, two of which were decapitated. What do you think might do this? We have had coyotes, but not for a couple of years since our LGD has been on the job 24/7. She's been out of commission in the house with a sprained ankle for a few days, though, hence I guess the bold attack. But IME coyotes don't do like this.

Thoughts?

 

[sonew123]

raccoons? weasles-skunks- I have had body snatches last week-3 went totally missing -just some feathers to find-I was told it was either a fischer or raccoon! Im sorry for your loss :-(

 

[thewarriorchild]

Sorry for your loss. IT seems like they watch us like crazy and as soon as we are a bit off they jump right in.

 

[houndit]

Normally if it has no head but is other wise intact it is a opossum. Coons eat about any and all parts. If it is totally gone it is probably a fox. They watch close foxes do. We had all our chickens shut up for days because of a fox. One chicken got out and we could not catch it. It disappeared that day.

 

[citrusdreams]

I would set out a few (or at the very least, one) live traps, and I would confine my chickens to the henhouse and pen until you trap and dispatch whatever it is that discovered your flock.

If you need to free range them, do so if you can watch them yourself. Maybe an hour or two before dusk, that way you can supervise and they'll go in on their own at dusk.

 

[chad]

Quote:
"It's the c-i-i-r-r-c-l-e of life...

 

[chad]

Quote:
And who knows if it might not have been a predator party? Symbiotic relationships and all that.

Thanks, all for the input!

 

[77horses]

That sounds a lot like a weasel; one used to live under our chicken coop without us knowing and it killed our 2 Red Star hens(and decapitated one), and the next day came back and killed our beautiful New Jersey Giant rooster.

Try this live trap, it works every timeor so I've heard) and see what you catch.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=192721
Also, another idea to figure out what it is is to buy a night camera.

and so sorry for your loss; I hope you catch the predator that did it.

g

 

[SC_Hugh]

Quote:
"It's the c-i-i-r-r-c-l-e of life...

Sorry that you lost so many chickens...

My "Circle of Life" has coop window locks and two door locks, along with two fences and two gates.

Lion King was a great kids movie that I enjoyed watching with my little ones. My little ones are now: 20, 17 & 14.

Hugh

 

[makennads.com]

Sounds like a weasel too me...About 5 years ago we kept finding our birds with head trauma and it looked like they were chewed on, always happened at dusk and dawn. Finally found where a weasel will do this and once they find them they will not stop until all of the birds are gone. We eventually found a ton of tunnels and holes under the barn. We gave the last girl away waited 5 years and now we hope to have a weasel proof coop. Sorry for your loss.