Got the preditor on camera! Can you identify?

[sarahannecloud9]

We have 2 ferral cats stocking our flock. Normally it's just as the sun goes down. There is a bright orange cat and a slate grey cat. This trail cam caught the back of the animal and it looks like a cat to me? It's so big though. I left the run door open the other night and was late to shut it, 8 pm. The animal got a good chunk of feathers from one of my chicks. So we set the cam up again. This animal will not go in any trap. I lost a broody last year out of a diff pen. It ate the whole back of the animal, nothing elese. Small hole too. Animal controll said possible a mink. The pic doesn't look like one to me. We are located on the Cumberland Plateau in Tn. We moved the cam to the path the animal always takes. it avoided the trap again last night. It looks like a big cat to me. Could this be the orange cat I have seen?

TIA!!!!!

UPDATE! I feel I need to say something because of all the responses about shooting the animal. I have NO issue with that. I have a cpl responses to the issue. I'm only asking for oppenions on what you think is in the pic. I believe we have 3 or more animals here. I kinda wanted reassurance that this particular one is a cat? I thought I could be wrong. The animal will be trapped and shot.

 

[gg706]

Looks like a cat to me too! I would probably shoot it. If it is avoiding your traps you dont have much choice.

 

[TheCrazyChick]

Also could be a smallish dog?

 

[4 the Birds]

That is a cat in the picture. Cats can dislocate their shoulders and go into holes as big as their head. Cats can play and harm chicks but ours do not mess with full grown layers. If you had a full grown bird half eaten then it was some other predator.

 

[gg706]

I think a cat that is a household cat would probably not attempt much with a chicken....but a wild feral cat who is not declawed and is hunting for food....I believe could kill a chicken. The hole that was described does not sound cat-like however.

 

[sarahannecloud9]

The broody incident I believe could deff have been a ferret or mink. It was a small hole. I think we are getting several preditors. We live in the country, but there are farms/homes in the directions we would shoot from. I know there are the 2 ferral cats as well. The grey and orange. I think the animal doing this now, could deff be diff from the first. We are hoping to trap then shoot. We just havn't been in a safe position to shoot the several encounters we have had. I guess we are gonna pu some sort of seafood and try again.

I really appriceate all the oppenions! Please keep them comin. So this time most believe the pic could be a cat.

 

[patty12]

that is a cat in the photo. cats will kill chickens. I don't think that they would kill a full grown hen but if they were hungry enough they might.

 

[Talihofarms]

Cat.
Keep track of its scheduel and time it so you can deal with the vermin.
We use canned cat food in live traps for Cats and Coons with fair success.
If you have dogs see if they can tree it and then finish it off.
Cats love to kill chicks.
The worst preditors for chicks are cats, coons and weasels.
In the last couple weeks our dogs have killed several feral cats and a opossum.
Coons are laying low due to the cold here in the Midwest.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

What triggers a cat's killer instinct is unknown but cats are one of the few animals that will hunt for sport.
Keep in mind that any cat is capable of killing a chicken for any reason if the cat wishes to or is so inclined.

 

[wayne hulgan]

What triggers a cat's killer instinct is unknown but cats are one of the few animals that will hunt for sport.
Keep in mind that any cat is capable of killing a chicken for any reason if the cat wishes to or is so inclined.

So true.