- May 4, 2014
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We live in a rural area , the chicken area has a surrounding fence and during the day they roam free, some" escape "and hop back in of a night. A few weeks ago one of our "feral" cockrels that refused to go in of a night vanished without trace.. missing assumed eaten, shortly after again a redneck coop avoider.. this time a duck vanished without trace as did a semi tame pheasant that had taken up residence in the back garden.. all of these were put down to a fox.
Three nights ago our very tame turkey roosted up a tree and would not go in, the following morning I found her, not a pretty sight, a trail of feathers, a detached wing and then her remains, body intact and insides eaten .. assumed a fox, however today one of our other turkeys, the older wiser very flighty and aware of the birds did not come in at dusk. I walked the boundary and found her, no head, a clean decapitation, but no other visiable marks, aside of two puncure wounds to her chest, quite far apart. she had no feather loss and was left intack but for her head. now im not sure its a fox.... her body had no other visible marks, no blood trail or anything to indicate a fox attack.. this was not a kill for food ..
In the meantime we have lost another chicken, she was broody and had taken to living under a shed .. she only ventured out first thing in the morning and never outside the chicken enclosure ... so im concerned .. do you think its a fox or a dog or maybe both and what should I do?
we have had a problem with a local dog, the owner lets it sit roam off lead and it runs into the garden and snaps at the chickens, twice it has caught birds the first it stripped feathers but the bird recovered, the second time it shook the bird and it died, both times it was off the lead and had come into the garden .. the owners dont care , any suggestions?
Three nights ago our very tame turkey roosted up a tree and would not go in, the following morning I found her, not a pretty sight, a trail of feathers, a detached wing and then her remains, body intact and insides eaten .. assumed a fox, however today one of our other turkeys, the older wiser very flighty and aware of the birds did not come in at dusk. I walked the boundary and found her, no head, a clean decapitation, but no other visiable marks, aside of two puncure wounds to her chest, quite far apart. she had no feather loss and was left intack but for her head. now im not sure its a fox.... her body had no other visible marks, no blood trail or anything to indicate a fox attack.. this was not a kill for food ..
In the meantime we have lost another chicken, she was broody and had taken to living under a shed .. she only ventured out first thing in the morning and never outside the chicken enclosure ... so im concerned .. do you think its a fox or a dog or maybe both and what should I do?
we have had a problem with a local dog, the owner lets it sit roam off lead and it runs into the garden and snaps at the chickens, twice it has caught birds the first it stripped feathers but the bird recovered, the second time it shook the bird and it died, both times it was off the lead and had come into the garden .. the owners dont care , any suggestions?
