Guillotined chickens

[tn_artist]

I have a friend in SC who got some birds from me last summer. Today, he got up and had no chickens. He said it looked like something had convinced the chickens to stick their heads out of the wire and but then off. I was doing a search for the preditor finder, but came up empty. Thoughts on what could have done this? It happened in Eastern nc

 

[Mtnboomer]

Raccoons are a possibility. They will reach through the fence grab a bird and try to pull it through

 

[ColoradoPip]

Typical trash panda behavior.

 

[cmom]

Probably a coon. Owls will only take the head it if they can get to the birds.

 

[Cryss]

Raccoons can reach through a one inch space. They grab the chicken and try to pull them through. They then eat the head because that’s the only part they can pull through.

 

[cmom]

If they have a game camera, I would suggest they put it up. More than likely the predator has been there before looking for an opportunity and will be back.

 

[Howard E]

To the OP, how many chickens are we talking about? One or two......or ?

Chickens inside and heads outside or just chickens by the fence missing heads?

 

[tn_artist]

Thanks everyone. Raccoon seems to be the consensus, and it makes sense. After more questioning, I realized how little information he picked up from me or even looked up. I had given him all of my silkies (8-9), a pair of black tailed buff japanese and a couple of huge Olive egger cockrels. They were all wiped out in one night. He said he had some roosts, but they wouldn't all use them. I had to tell him that silkies need other protection as they Can't Fly! He said they liked to huddle up on the ground. Ugh. Now he wants to raise some from TSC. They don't like to huddle on the ground! You have to give them a safe place off the ground with a way to get there! He wont get another bird from me! Ever!
He said that he never saw a single egg from any of them either. I said that he was probably feeding some snakes or rats. All of those birds would have turned a year old this month. We didn't get eggs until late summer/fall from the same age birds that I kept. I asked what he was feeding them. "Cracked corn and some layer mash" Ugh.

 

[sourland]

I agree with possibly raccoon or GHO. I once raised ring neck pheasants, and the owls would get them flying in the evening and behead them through the pen tops. Smaller mesh wire on pen tops stopped that.

 

[tn_artist]

To the OP, how many chickens are we talking about? One or two......or ?

Chickens inside and heads outside or just chickens by the fence missing heads?

13 bodies by the fencing, no heads. He used two inch chicken wire and said that he didn't think they could even get their heads through the wire. All but two big Olive Egger cockrels were bantam. I think he thinks he is going to do better with chicks from TSC. He has no brooder, heat lamp, or anything else needed. He said that he would keep them in the house at first. He didn't know they needed warmth other than what humans use in the house. I'm about to feel really bad for some baby birds.