HELP!

[Floralpicker]

I am hoping someone on here can help me, my chicks are 7 weeks old and out in the coop and run my husband made. I went out in the afternoon to check on them last week and one of the chicks was dead, only the head gone. I thought my cat had gotten in there so I secured the top pretty well in the run. Then yesterday, another one was dead with just the head gone. So I spent the whole day out there making sure nothing could get in. I went out last night to lock them in the coop and they didnt want to go in very bad so I was catching them and putting them in. This morning another is dead. They all have died in the coop, this time, it was over night, and nothing was in there. The pop door was locked, window closed, coop door secured, so it appears on of the chickens is doing this???? Im so confused.

 

[sarahc8]

I think it has to be a weasel or a snake getting in through a tiny tiny crack.... you'd be amazed at the small spaces they can fit through... I'm so sorry about your chickens! I seriously doubt the chickens are beheading eachother lol... maybe you should buy some 1/4 inch hardware cloth to cover your openings... it's expensive, but maybe in your case worth it

 

[roostersandhens]

1st of all I'm so sorry about ure chickens, that's really sad. 2nd could an animal be going under the coop and getting in? look for holes. 3rd what animals would just eat the head? Weasels, they are head eaters. They can fit through 1/2'' chicken wire! So u could have a weasle problem =( I am so glad weasels are not native to CA. Would a chicken eat another chickens head? no not a chance!
Good Luck! i hope ure chickens are ok.

 

[Floralpicker]

I have never heard of, or seen any weasels here, but I guess there could be some We are in N.E. Oregon, pretty cold in the winter. I searched the perimeter of the coop and cannot find the slightest of any holes, cracks etc. I am stumped.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

That's terrible.

It really does sound like weasels. I found this online and it looks like you have a couple of different species of weasels there.

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/species/docs/small_mammals.pdf

What do you have your vents covered with? What is the size of the openings? Have you checked for small cracks and openings from top to bottom in the coop? Made sure the vent coverings don't have any gaps where the wire has been pushed loose?

 

[NYREDS]

I'm not sure what it might be but in my experience a weasel will keep killing 'till there's nothing left to kill. I've never heard of them killing one a day if there were more they could get at.