Help Please

[crazypetlady]

Can anyone suggest what type predator would kill and remove the head off a duck and a chicken and only eat a little of the shoulders and wings?? Two night's in a row it got a duck so we locked up the ducks then last night and it got a chicken. We usually don't lock up the animals at night but we just finished our new coop so as soon as we teach the flocks to go in (chickens, ducks, geese). We also have a missing teenage guniea go missing teh 1st night, it was smaller than a bantam.

This predator had to come over a 6 foot board fence then a 5 feet chain link to get to the flock.

Any ideas on what is ripping the heads off our babies and how we can trap it? '

Also any tricks for getting the geesse in the coop at night? The chickens I wited until they roosted and picked them up and put them in the new coop whick worked, unfortunately I only tried it with 3 and not the whole flock, now I know how to get them in.

Thanks in advance

 

[rungirl]

Most likely a raccoon. Get a hav-a-hart trap, bait it with stinky cat food. When you catch it, drown it in a trash container filled with water. Then reset your trap.

 

[colebarnhart]

Agree with above, probably a raccoon, lots of predators can rip a head off, but not go up and over two fences. If you put a light in your coop that will help get them inside at night.

 

[skillswife]

Racoon is my vote too, although skunks can do that but they would dig under.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I would also guess racoon.

As for getting the birds into the new coop at night, would they enter the pen for treats just before dusk?
Maybe if you spread some BOSS or cracked corn in the pen when you want them to go in, then just shut the door behind them.

Practice it a couple of times during daylight to get them used to following the nice treats container!

 

[crazypetlady]

Update

We put up a light and that has worked for the last 3 nights. We caught almost all the chix and put them in the new house then the next night most of them went in by themselves. We did buy a havehart trap but all we have caught so far is our kittens.

 

[colebarnhart]

Raccoons are very smart and you might have to camo up your trap somewhat and try different baits, even like marshmallows and peanut butter if the tuna or sardines don't work. But I would really just recommend you lock up the chix at night and make your coop/run as safe and secure as possible and give up the trapping thing because it will be a never ending battle. However, if you do insist on trapping, kill what you catch and feed it back to your chix for protein and of course the ultimate revenge, that's what I wish I would've done anyway