Help! Ducks killed by unknown predator (slightly graphic description)

[Lala the duck]

Hello,
Yesterday morning, our adult Pekin was killed in the coop. Her head and neck were bloody and I could not make out her face. A predator had eaten her insides from the back, in the place between her legs and tail. She was left in the cage, and we discovered a small hole above the ground. I could not find any fur caught on the wire. We fortified the coop with bricks and sheets of metal laid around the outside of the walls. However, this morning another duck was killed. A predator had removed the bricks and gone through the same hole (picture attached). The duck was eaten inside the coop, dragged a few feet from where it was sleeping. We had checked on it this morning around 5 A.M. and it was still alive. Around 8 A.M. we found her dead. Her head and neck were slightly bloody, not as much as our Pekin. She was eaten on both sides, with her tail, feet, head, and breast left. The wings were also eaten. Both times, the predator didn't go for the breast. Can anyone help us identify the animal? We're all heartbroken.

 

[roosterhavoc]

Hello,
Yesterday morning, our adult Pekin was killed in the coop. Her head and neck were bloody and I could not make out her face. A predator had eaten her insides from the back, in the place between her legs and tail. She was left in the cage, and we discovered a small hole above the ground. I could not find any fur caught on the wire. We fortified the coop with bricks and sheets of metal laid around the outside of the walls. However, this morning another duck was killed. A predator had removed the bricks and gone through the same hole (picture attached). The duck was eaten inside the coop, dragged a few feet from where it was sleeping. We had checked on it this morning around 5 A.M. and it was still alive. Around 8 A.M. we found her dead. Her head and neck were slightly bloody, not as much as our Pekin. She was eaten on both sides, with her tail, feet, head, and breast left. The wings were also eaten. Both times, the predator didn't go for the breast. Can anyone help us identify the animal? We're all heartbroken.

You don’t see any fur on the wire? It looks like the chicken wire is covered with raccoon or possum fur.

 

[chickens really]

Any visible tracks in the dirt? Definitely better wire on the pen is needed.

 

[Diana_burns04]

Hello,
Yesterday morning, our adult Pekin was killed in the coop. Her head and neck were bloody and I could not make out her face. A predator had eaten her insides from the back, in the place between her legs and tail. She was left in the cage, and we discovered a small hole above the ground. I could not find any fur caught on the wire. We fortified the coop with bricks and sheets of metal laid around the outside of the walls. However, this morning another duck was killed. A predator had removed the bricks and gone through the same hole (picture attached). The duck was eaten inside the coop, dragged a few feet from where it was sleeping. We had checked on it this morning around 5 A.M. and it was still alive. Around 8 A.M. we found her dead. Her head and neck were slightly bloody, not as much as our Pekin. She was eaten on both sides, with her tail, feet, head, and breast left. The wings were also eaten. Both times, the predator didn't go for the breast. Can anyone help us identify the animal? We're all heartbroken.

Maybe a Fisher cat!! Or a fox!!

 

[cmom]

If you have a game camera, put it up, the predator will be back and then you will know what you're dealing with. I have several game cameras up on my property. Most nights when the predators roam here, I get one on camera.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CGMQRWP/?tag=backy-20
A coyote behind some of the coops.

Another coyote behind the coops.

 

[Lala the duck]

Thank you all for the replies! We've come to the conclusion that the predator was a weasel or raccoon, based on how the ducks were killed and how the animal slipped into the coop.

 

[Lala the duck]

Any visible tracks in the dirt? Definitely better wire on the pen is needed.

Nope, no visible tracks in the dirt! There were only some indiscernible muddy prints where it dug out the hole.

 

[Lala the duck]

If you have a game camera, put it up, the predator will be back and then you will know what you're dealing with. I have several game cameras up on my property. Most nights when the predators roam here, I get one on camera.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CGMQRWP/?tag=backy-20
A coyote behind some of the coops.
View attachment 1957304 View attachment 1957305View attachment 1957306
Another coyote behind the coops. View attachment 1957311

Thank you for bringing this to my attention! I'll definitely be checking it out and getting one so I can hopefully catch which predators frequent the coop.

 

[bernie131]

I will be getting a camera after losing my baby boy, a drake I hatched and raised myself and only lost a few days ago,..it really hurts

 

[cmom]

Lat nights visitor behind some of the coops, a coyote. The date is wrong on the camera. I keep forgetting to reset it.

This was a few days ago I lost a couple of birds missing their heads. I moved the birds to another coop I did repair the netting but used some crappy netting and the owl got through it. I did another repair with better netting and so far the owl hasn't been back or at least hasn't shown up on camera.

It looks like it's thinking "where did the chickens go? They were here last night."