headless chickens

[wlburnette]

We are finding our bantams dead in the morning. Just their heads gone. Nothing torn up, just a missing head. What can it be? The latest victim was my favorite brown red rooster.

 

[The Chicken People]

coons and other creatures can reach through ckn wire and take just the heads..lock them up at night if you can or secure the run so that they cant reach through..set a trap?

 

[wlburnette]

it has to be something getting all the way in the chicken pen. nothing can just reach through the pen.

 

[citalk2much]

Dose it have an open top?

 

[The Chicken People]

Make it Predator Proof! Sit and figure it out or video tape it to find out how its happening! Gotta protect them chickens!

 

[Wifezilla]

I had 2 headless ducks a while back. In our case it was a hawk.

 

[highcountrychickens]

I'm so sorry to hear this! Heartbreaking... This is very typical Owl behavior. (I work with a raptor rehabilitation and education center - owls being one of the main species we study) It has also been argued here that raccoons do this, but that would indicate your bantams were roosting next to the fencing, and the raccoon could not otherwise get through - where were your birds when you found them dead... in the middle or edge of the coop? If they were in the middle, I would lay highest odds that you have an owl, and a bit of wire mesh across the top of your coop or nighttime confinement will do the trick. Raccoon proofing is a bit more involved, but certainly do-able.

 

[citalk2much]

Kind of what I am thinking if there is no top and it is at night it would probly be an owl

 

[Sillystunt]

Racoons can climb! Really sorry to hear about your chickens! They need to be locked in the coop at night to keep them safe.

 

[Wifezilla]

This is very typical Owl behavior.

Owl was our other suspect. But we actually saw hawks circling around the time the ducks got beheaded. Either way, netting will keep them from munching on your bantams. I had to make an "aviary" of sorts to keep the ducks safe. Deer netting from Lowe's over a clothes line did the trick.


If it was raccoons, wouldn't the breast be gone as well?​