- Dec 12, 2007
- 3
- 0
- 7
Would sure appreciate help in ID-ing a murdering varmit. . .Yesterday afternoon, way before dark, something got our large, formidable Rhode Island Red rooster. Feathers were torn completely off the neck (part of the neck was eaten -thyroid area??)) and all the feathers were torn off his back. The rest of the body was left intact. There appeared to be no punctures or torn skin anywhere else --not even where the feathers were torn off his back.
A couple weeks ago, we lost a hen to what looks like the same predator also in the early afternoon. It tore her head off, left the body about 30 feet from the head, took all the feathers off her entire neck, ate part of the neck also, as well as pulled her gizzard out but left it uneaten. The rest of the body seemed intact.
Our chickens sleep in a safe coop at night, but I let them free-range around the barnyard during the day. Both were killed within 30 feet of the same place between our two barns. The pasture they are in is fenced with regular stock fencing all around (fenced to keep baby goats in) and electric fencing at the top. I'm thinking that coyotes or dogs can't get in (and have never seen any in that pasture. . . )
We've had chickens for 5 years living successfully under the same circumstances with the exception of two other losses. . .About 6 months ago, a hawk swooped down and carried off a hen within 10 feet of our house during the early afternoon, (I was out with them!!) and a couple of years ago, something grabbed a chicken that went in with the horses instead of the coop one evening. Whatever it was drug her under the barn, ate the breasts completely off. I found her in the early evening, still alive. My poor baby!!! (If anyone could ID this varmit, would appreciate also!)
A couple weeks ago, we lost a hen to what looks like the same predator also in the early afternoon. It tore her head off, left the body about 30 feet from the head, took all the feathers off her entire neck, ate part of the neck also, as well as pulled her gizzard out but left it uneaten. The rest of the body seemed intact.
Our chickens sleep in a safe coop at night, but I let them free-range around the barnyard during the day. Both were killed within 30 feet of the same place between our two barns. The pasture they are in is fenced with regular stock fencing all around (fenced to keep baby goats in) and electric fencing at the top. I'm thinking that coyotes or dogs can't get in (and have never seen any in that pasture. . . )
We've had chickens for 5 years living successfully under the same circumstances with the exception of two other losses. . .About 6 months ago, a hawk swooped down and carried off a hen within 10 feet of our house during the early afternoon, (I was out with them!!) and a couple of years ago, something grabbed a chicken that went in with the horses instead of the coop one evening. Whatever it was drug her under the barn, ate the breasts completely off. I found her in the early evening, still alive. My poor baby!!! (If anyone could ID this varmit, would appreciate also!)
