I think a squirrel killed one of my chickens last night.

[Marysunshine]

Its my fault because I got home a little after dark and all my chickens were huddled in a corner of the run instead of inside the coop. All except one who was just lying there with her neck kinda twisted. I should assume it was a squirrel since the hen was not eaten, and I dont see how any other animal could have gotten in there. We have 3/4 acre in the city and have not seen any other animals in the yard... except a rat snake we think is our friend. Pretty sad at our house today. : (
I really didnt think a squirrel could do this. I will be more careful now and try to cover all the holes in the chain link with poultry netting. I did see one small squirrel squeeze through it one day.
Has anyone else had a squirrel kill chickens?
Today my hens seem sorta traumatized.

 

[crazy huhn]

I do not think that it was a squirrel. My girls really chase them out of the yard.

 

[CMV]

Sorry about your chicken. Don't blame yourself, it happens.

I don't believe I have ever heard about squirrels killing chickens, just eating their eggs. Are you sure it wasn't some other predator? Raccoon or opossum? How big was the chicken?

 

[Lollipop]

Nope, squirrels and chickens are ok, except the squirrels eat the feed and harbor mites and lice........Pop

 

[jjthink]

I also do not think it was a squirrel.

So sad about the poor hen that was killed. Put a drop of Rescue Remedy in the water for the rest of the girls each day for the next few days - known for stress reduction.

Whoever did this will of course in all likelihood be back - and he/she may not wait till dark, depending upon who it was. Be on red alert and pred proof like crazy.
JJ

 

[chickbea]

Your most likely culprit would be a mink or a weasel, if you think it got in through a small hole. Weasels especially can enter through a very tiny hole.
Under starvation conditions, a squirrel will eat meat, but that would be VERY rare. As crazy huhn commented, my girls tend to attack small critters that wander into their pen.

 

[kycklingar!]

Do you have anything tall she could have fallen from? I've known chickens to break their own necks in one of 2 ways - they fall (yes, it sounds stupid, but sometimes their reaction time stinks and they land on their neck!) OR an animal scares them, like a dog running in circles around the coop, and they run into a wall. I had some nasty injuries earlier this year when the neighbor's dachsunds got out and ran circles around the chicken run. The birds were technically safe from their teeth, but not from the sheer terror that caused them to bang repeatedly into walls.

 

[Marysunshine]

I didnt even think about her falling... There were no bite marks, but her neck was wet and her feathers were matted.

My 14 yr old dog was in the yard, but she is uninterested in the chickens, plus they were locked in the run.

We are in central Texas. I am not sure if we ave weasels...

My chickens are still pretty young (14 weeks)

Thanks for making me feel a bit better

 

[Marysunshine]

Quote:
Like the rescue remedy idea! Thanks! and yes, I am off to home depot to make sure every inch is secure!

 

[Jeff9118]

If her head and neck was wet and the feathers were mated it sounds like your rat snake friend tried to eat a bigger meal then it can swallow and gave up. They eat victims head first and if it was too big that would explain the twisted neck and the feathers being wet and mated.