{graphic Pics!!} - What Did This???!!!!

[patandchickens]

There are most definitely weasels in Ohio, several species in fact. Also other members of the weasel family such as mink (I've actually seen a mink in OH, dead in a field in late winter, at a barn where I used to board my horse when I lived N of Cincinnati).

Really there are weasels practically everywhere in the continental US and much of Canada, with the exception of very desert-y or very urban areas.

People never THINK there's weasels around, til they have chickens et by 'em. You'd never know otherwise, unless you spend a *lot* of time looking for tracks in the snow.

Sorry for your loss, time to do some more digproofing, best of luck in future,

Pat

 

[elevan]

We just found the missing chicken - ALIVE!!!! She wedged herself between the rain barrel and the fence. She couldn't get out of her spot but nothing could get to her either...the rain barrel being in a corner.

We've got her in a dog crate in our camper until we can make our coop / run the chicken fort knox!

 

[elevan]

Quote:
Pat - Does it look like a weasel kill to you? I'm trying to figure out what got them so I know what to look for. Definitely gonna put hardware cloth on the bottom of the run before we introduce any new chickens to the coop.

FYI: There were 4 holes... 2 not more than 1 1/2 inches diameter....1 probably 2 inches diameter and the other 3 inches diameter...

 

[chicken wild]

that looks like something a dog would do. anything else would take then and eat then.

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

Weasel or mink. If you live anywhere near water it was a mink. This is exactly what they do. They go for the neck, eat part of the head and kill everything they can. There have been a lot of people having problems with mink lately. I've had mink do this to my flock twice. I've had raccoons and fox get my chickens and ducks before, but they only take one at a time and just keep coming back. Set a live trap with one (or part of one) of your chicken and put it in the spot they were killed. You should catch him. Try to cover the wire because they are hard to catch.

 

[Tiss]

I don't think dog. They usually shake them to death not take chunks out. I'd guess raccoon or weasel too. I'm so glad you found one alive!

 

[elevan]

Quote:
No way possible it was a dog. It's in a fully enclosed area with very small holes dug under from the inside of the barn.

There were 4 holes... 2 not more than 1 1/2 inches diameter....1 probably 2 inches diameter and the other 3 inches diameter...

Plus our Llama would have killed a dog had it got into the barn, but the holes weren't big enough for even the smallest dog to get through.

 

[elevan]

Quote:
I've got a large (newly dug and filled) pond in my field probably 200 yards from the coop. There is not any vegetation around it though that a mink could shelter in. But, I'm clueless when it comes to the weasel or mink.

 

[woodmort]

Set a fairly large live trapped baited with one of the birds and let us know what you catch. What ever did this will be back.

 

[HarperFarm]

very sorry for your loss i have always heard thats exactly what weasels do!