help me idk whats killing my chickens

[marie95]

i have never had any trouble with anything killing my chicken before at all and i just recently put 12 younger ones out side in our pen and the other day i went out to feed them after i had got home from school i had two younger ones missing, one with a broken leg and sadly to say one with a missing head. the weird thing was there was not very many feathers around and no blood any where . we had set a trap in the pen at night when we put them up but nothing i am so clueless how can i keep this from happening agian? Does anyone know what it could be ?

 

[HeatherEmme]

New to chickens here with no real experience yet, but I've read that all sorts of animals will eat the heads and leave the bodies..coons, weasels, owls, skunks,opossums...etc UGH..nasty little critters.

Maybe check the pen for weak spots or areas of digging...if there's no 'roof' maybe putting one on will help? I've heard hardware cloth is good and tough..a bit $$ though.

Sorry =/

 

[marie95]

okay thank you i just wasnt sure what it could be i never had anything happen like this before to and i was very shocked to find them and i am new to chickens too so im still learning things

 

[TheChicken4U]

Sorry, What County Do You Live In? If you can tell me i could proboally help! i've had many like this

 

[TheChicken4U]

Weasel or stout. We had problems with them earlier this year! They bite or claw of their heads and suck their blood, leaving there body behind, it's easy to tell its them! We had to shut our girl up earlier because they will attack in daylight hours if they must! They normally attack the smaller birds, banties ext.. Unless their sick, they also make easy targets. Seeing as these nasty critters can fit through gaps that a mouse can't, their very hard to KEAP out, try getting some traps around your coop that KILL INSTENTLY! They're too smart for live traps! When you get one, hang it up high on a wooden post, it will help decreese anymore of the little devils dm trying to kill more, I mean, if you walked into a resterant and dead men where hung in the ceiling, you'd wanna leave pretty fast! Good luck with your problem!!! (P.S keep all your girls TOGHETHER if you can! Big groups he will normally kill one! Group of 5 or less he'll proboally go for the lot!!