Help IDing a Predator

[iwiw60]

Happened during the day or very early evening before I closed them up for the night. I'm a girl by the way

Oops!! Sorry 'bout that!

Well, I think the bottom line is this...that weasel, fox, raccoon, whatever it was will be back. Now that they know where 'dinner' is there'll be no stopping them. I'm sure you don't want to hear it, but for now you should probably not allow your hens to free-range at all...it's run time for them til you can either trap or shoot the scumbag (shooting is the way I'd go).

 

[Pyxis]

Yep, no one is allowed out right now. They're not too happy with me. I've set a trap that would work for a raccoon etc and tomorrow I'm building a weasel trap.

 

[Pyxis]

If anyone was curious, the predator is a raven. Caught him in the act.

 

[Spongegirl]

a raven? no way. can a raven do that? maybe you caught him in some act but perhaps not the original slaughter. how could a raven take all those eggs, chicks, and gut a hen without making a huge mess? I think a fox did it. I coon comes at night. A snake takes eggs but slowly and wouldn't gut the hen. A coon wouldn't leave anything alive. Just kill and go. A fox, snatch it and eat later, cant carry that much at once so comes back for more. A possum would also kill and go leaving a huge slaughter mess. idk. this is my experience with these murderers.

 

[iwiw60]

a raven? no way. can a raven do that? maybe you caught him in some act but perhaps not the original slaughter. how could a raven take all those eggs, chicks, and gut a hen without making a huge mess? I think a fox did it. I coon comes at night. A snake takes eggs but slowly and wouldn't gut the hen. A coon wouldn't leave anything alive. Just kill and go. A fox, snatch it and eat later, cant carry that much at once so comes back for more. A possum would also kill and go leaving a huge slaughter mess. idk. this is my experience with these murderers.

I agree...I have never heard of a raven doing that kind of damage....

 

[subhanalah]

I think you have a opossum problem.

 

[Pyxis]

Nope, I promise it was the raven. I caught him stealing eggs, and I caught him killing all my chicks. Same as before, all gone without a trace, with the exception of one duckling he hadn't quite finished yet. That one he had just eaten the head off of, just like with the bantam Cochin. He also stole eggs out of my trap without setting it off. Since they're so smart, I have no trouble believing it was him that did it. To be clear, I literally caught him in the act of these things. Saw him doing it.

 

[swamperkk]

first of all,put a hot wire around your coop,it will kept whatever attacking your chickens,i had a dog visit my coop the other day,all i heard was howling and saw the dog running away,lol,,gotcha

 

[aart]

I know ravens will steal eggs, eat carrion. They're big birds, I can see it killing chicks but not full grown birds, tho it would feed off a dead one.

 

[iwiw60]

Nope, I promise it was the raven. I caught him stealing eggs, and I caught him killing all my chicks. Same as before, all gone without a trace, with the exception of one duckling he hadn't quite finished yet. That one he had just eaten the head off of, just like with the bantam Cochin. He also stole eggs out of my trap without setting it off. Since they're so smart, I have no trouble believing it was him that did it. To be clear, I literally caught him in the act of these things. Saw him doing it.

Gosh, that is just too weird! I'd shoot that scumbag for sure....just sayin' ...