*graphic* what predator attacks like this

[Axalea]

Came out this morning before work to feed my 16 year old brothers chickens before work, saw the rooster had been killed, looked like it was pulled through the fence and head torn off. Whatever predator killed it was able to move the 20-30 lb yellow metal grate my brother put up on the side of the coop to prevent this. As you can see the roosters hen in the back is still alive. Whatever it was the rooster put up a fight because this rooster is known to attack anything that comes near it except us when we feed/water them. (Also I’m aware there is no hardware cloth, when he built the coop I made it clear he needed to use it but he said the welded wire would be just fine)

Any information/suggestions/advice would be appreciated greatly

 

[SilverBirds]

Pulled through the fence is usually the work of a raccoon. It is very likely the raccoon(s) will come back knowing there is more food so your brother should look into getting some hardwire cloth today or ASAP or finding another solution to covering the fence.

 

[Axalea]

Pulled through the fence is usually the work of a raccoon. It is very likely the raccoon(s) will come back knowing there is more food so your brother should look into getting some hardwire cloth today or ASAP or finding another solution to covering the fence.

He also does not store food in containers he just sprinkles it on the ground, could that be attracting the raccoon

 

[SilverBirds]

He also does not store food in containers he just sprinkles it on the ground, could that be attracting the raccoon

It is possible as they are opportunistic feeders. That method of feeding can also attract rodents which will attract other types of predators.

 

[WhatsUpDuck]

My first thought was raccoon too It will come back if it knows they are unprotected..it's an easy food source for it, and raccoons are hungry as well. I'm sorry that is so sad to find.


LORD JESUS is KING of kings and LORD of lords

 

[Pukkits]

I'm sorry for the loss of such a brave rooster. Like the others, I agree this was likely a racoon. They are the most common "grab and pull" attackers.

My dad knew a family with a pet racoon when he was a teenager. He said you had to be insanely careful what you held or had in your pockets that a racoon might want if you were anywhere near it. It was not a violent animal, but it's incredible strength could easily hurt a person.

The other comments are also spot on that it will come back. Please implement protection for any remaining birds before dusk.

 

[microchick]

Definitely looks like the work of a racoon to me. Neighbor had one pull his young birds' heads through the chicken wire fence and decapitate them.

Racoon will be back and racoon needs to go. I use a live trap when one fools around my run/coop, then dispatch it to wherever racoons go when they get a shot of 'lead-a-cillin'. I never catch and release. Just turns my problem into somebody else's.

If it's in the budget, an electric 'hot wire' fence will stop predation by just about everything that has a hankering for a chicken dinner. My run is chain link and so far, after 10 years keeping chickens I've never lost a bird to a racoon.

Sorry for the loss of the rooster. Looks like he died doing his job.

 

[Axalea]

Definitely looks like the work of a racoon to me. Neighbor had one pull his young birds' heads through the chicken wire fence and decapitate them.

Racoon will be back and racoon needs to go. I use a live trap when one fools around my run/coop, then dispatch it to wherever racoons go when they get a shot of 'lead-a-cillin'. I never catch and release. Just turns my problem into somebody else's.

If it's in the budget, an electric 'hot wire' fence will stop predation by just about everything that has a hankering for a chicken dinner. My run is chain link and so far, after 10 years keeping chickens I've never lost a bird to a racoon.

Sorry for the loss of the rooster. Looks like he died doing his job.

Do you mean electrifying the chain link?

 

[Axalea]

Thanks everyone for the replies, we have shored up the welded wire with materials we had laying around the farm since he still did not want to buy hardware cloth. Can confirm it was a raccoon. Stayed outside all night and gave the raccoon a dose of lead poisoning.

 

[microchick]

Do you mean electrifying the chain link?

Oh, no you don't want to do that.

What I have done is use electric fence wire and insulators that I drill holes in and attach to the chain link panels metal framework. Usually takes two cable ties to hold them securely. I place the insulators about three inches above the ground level. Sometimes the lay of the land causes that level to be higher or lower. Then I hook the charger up to the wire per instructions. Many use a solar charger type of power for their charger. My husband just wires mine with a plug so I can just plug it in inside the coop. Make sure and attach a ground wire. Now the way I do mine is I wire the ground by winding it around one of the framework pipes on my chain link fence panels. My panels are the type used for dog kennels. Since the panel's are in direct contact with the ground, they make a good ground connection.

The only animal that has breached my set up was a stray cat and I ended that problem by extending the hot wire, splicing a wire into the existing setup and running it around the top of the run panels once again using insulators to secure the wire.

They make two types of hot wire fence insulators. One will set close to the post you attach it to the other is about 4 inches long. If you can find ones that nail or screw on they save the work of having to drill holes through the ones that clamp on, although the clamp on work well by spreading the insulator and drilling holes into the stem to run cable ties through.

This is the clamp on variety but I like the length as my bantams can reach through the fence and grab a blade of grass without getting shocked. The part that clamps on the T post is what I'm talking about when I say, it can be spread to go against a round post but you can drill holes at the base of the 'stem' to pass cable ties to.

This is the nail on variety to use with wood posts but you can use cable ties to fasten them to metal.

The point is to have the charge going through the wire that the insulator is supporting and have it low enough to the ground that wildlife will touch it with their noses and mark your flock off their dinner menu. For fox, raccoons, possums, etc that 3-4 inches above the ground will work great. You can even hang a bit of bacon over the wire to coax them in for a snack and ruin their day when they get shocked.