Identifing mystery predator *GRAPHIC PHOTOS*

[StardustChicken]

I had 19 chicks, various breeds (silkie, buff laced polish, dominique, gold laced wyandotte, rhode island red): 15 of them 4 weeks, the other 4 between 5-6½ weeks (leghorn, ISA brown, 2 midnight majesty maran). This morning I found 2 of my 4 week silkies dead and one of my dominiques was missing entirely (same age). The strange thing is one of silkies only had a bit of blood on its head, but the other had half of its body missing (nowhere to be found in the coop run).

All of these chicks have been growing up together. About a week ago the elder chicks began to bully and food guard, although this behavior was curved with speration via the elder chicks being put in a chicken wire cage in the coop run while the younger age group ran around for a couple of hours (the younger group being put in brooders when the older ones were released again). About 2 or 3 days ago they were allowed to mingle together (no speration) and the elders were no longer displaying the negative behavior, from what I could tell from spending hours with them.

The chicks died between 10pm-8am. The larger silkie was stiff, but rigamortis had yet to set in the smaller runt silkie. I think the larger silkie might have been killed by the leghorn chick, but perhaps a particularly hungry squirrel got to the other 2 chicks. All of the smaller chicks were promptly put in the brooder for protection.

I just need help nailing down the predator responsible so I can take the proper precautions. Pictured below are the deceased silkies and one of my other dominique chicks for comparison.

 

[Duckee]

im not a pro on predators, but I had 2 feral cats kill 4 of my pullets for sport. It was clear they werent killed for food. Too much body/head/limbs were left intact and no distinct way of being killed. We babysat the coop the next night and busted them!
They were able to get through via stretching doubled chicken wire over time.
Do you have feral cats in your area?
Added: also, sometimes a chick can flee before being killed. You may want to look around, it may be hiding somewhere.

 

[Punkybrewster]

Your description and pictures lead me to believe a weasel.

 

[StardustChicken]

im not a pro on predators, but I had 2 feral cats kill 4 of my pullets for sport. It was clear they werent killed for food. Too much body/head/limbs were left intact and no distinct way of being killed. We babysat the coop the next night and busted them!
They were able to get through via stretching doubled chicken wire over time.
Do you have feral cats in your area?
Added: also, sometimes a chick can flee before being killed. You may want to look around, it may be hiding somewhere.

I search every bit of the run, but couldn't find the missing dominique. Pretty much any hiding place that a tiny chick could snake into is blocked off by chicken wire. I do have two barn cats that generally take care of mice and rats, one of which that's every territorial (I've even witnessed her charge at and scare away a full grown stray labrador from my property). The walls of the coop run has 2 layers of chicken wire: one metal, one plastic. I believe the predator got in via the top, which has wider netting. I could easy see a something like a squirrel or other rodent getting in...it's currently being replaced by a tin roof though.

 

[Vickischics]

I had 19 chicks, various breeds (silkie, buff laced polish, dominique, gold laced wyandotte, rhode island red): 15 of them 4 weeks, the other 4 between 5-6½ weeks (leghorn, ISA brown, 2 midnight majesty maran). This morning I found 2 of my 4 week silkies dead and one of my dominiques was missing entirely (same age). The strange thing is one of silkies only had a bit of blood on its head, but the other had half of its body missing (nowhere to be found in the coop run).

All of these chicks have been growing up together. About a week ago the elder chicks began to bully and food guard, although this behavior was curved with speration via the elder chicks being put in a chicken wire cage in the coop run while the younger age group ran around for a couple of hours (the younger group being put in brooders when the older ones were released again). About 2 or 3 days ago they were allowed to mingle together (no speration) and the elders were no longer displaying the negative behavior, from what I could tell from spending hours with them.

The chicks died between 10pm-8am. The larger silkie was stiff, but rigamortis had yet to set in the smaller runt silkie. I think the larger silkie might have been killed by the leghorn chick, but perhaps a particularly hungry squirrel got to the other 2 chicks. All of the smaller chicks were promptly put in the brooder for protection.

I just need help nailing down the predator responsible so I can take the proper precautions. Pictured below are the deceased silkies and one of my other dominique chicks for comparison.

Im sorry.
Set up a trap because the "killer" will be back tonight.
Hope you trap that predator.
So sorry.

 

[StardustChicken]

Im sorry.
Set up a trap because the "killer" will be back tonight.
Hope you trap that predator.
So sorry.

I set up 2 traps with raw chicken in them, neither worked. I found my favorite chick, Pumpkin (ISA brown), dead: her head chewed clean off. I'll try some rat poison outside the coop tonight?

 

[Punkybrewster]

Ugh. So sorry.
Possum and coon eat the head and crop

 

[cmom]

So sorry for you losses. If you have a game camera put it up. Most likely the predator has been lurking looking for an opportunity and found one. It could have been almost any predator. Most predators roam at night here and I suspect the same where you are. I don't know if you have weasels in Louisiana. We don't in Florida. If they were in a pen. It appears from your pictures your wire is 2x4. Were the birds secured in their coop/cage when they were killed?

I have electric wires around my coops and pens, concrete under the gates, and heavy duty netting covering all of the pens, all due to losses from predators in the past. Good luck...

 

[cmom]

A fox killed my most favorite bird during the middle of the day when I was out working on the coops. I did catch the fox and eliminated it. I put live traps out and baited them with some old chicken. I let the fox take the bait for a few days then set the trap.

 

[cmom]

In years past I used leg traps. A fox had dug under a gate and killed some birds dragging out under the gate. I used one of the bodies and put the leg traps around the body. I did the same with a bobcat that had killed 14 birds one night. Both fox were mangy and stinky. Now people are dividing up their properties and selling off pieces so we have had a lot of new homes built in the area so now I only use live traps. I have caught a couple of cats and have seen some dogs around. So far they haven't messed with my birds but the have to get past the electric wires.