Missing the head only

[Mrs. K]

Is that a mink or a weasel?

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

It could be a lot of things. From the weasel family to raccoons to fox to birds of prey.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

It could be a lot of things. From the weasel family to raccoons to fox to birds of prey.

X2
Daytime or night? Free ranging or found inside coop or run?

 

[bobbi-j]

In my experience, that's mink. We have the little weasels here. They tend to just bite into the neck or under the wing and lap up the blood.

 

[Mrs. K]

I am not sure if it was day or night, as it was the first Monday of daylight savings time, and I just added feed and water and left in the morning, not checking the coop, and not seeing the bird.

I have had a small hole under the fence line that I was pretty sure was a pack rat, from the tracks in the run. I should have done something about it, buggers.

Course now we are socked in with snow.

I am setting a trap for the next few nights. I have had coons many a time, but they always tear the body apart. This, (my favorite) is just missing her head.

Mrs K

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

I am not sure if it was day or night, as it was the first Monday of daylight savings time, and I just added feed and water and left in the morning, not checking the coop, and not seeing the bird.

I have had a small hole under the fence line that I was pretty sure was a pack rat, from the tracks in the run. I should have done something about it, buggers.

Course now we are socked in with snow.

I am setting a trap for the next few nights. I have had coons many a time, but they always tear the body apart. This, (my favorite) is just missing her head.

Mrs K

Usually a coon will only eat the neck and head. Could have also been a bird of prey.

 

[OhZark Biddies]

... I was pretty sure was a pack rat, from the tracks in the run.

Pack rat? or other kind of rat?

I get pack rats (eastern wood rats) from time to time, but they are solitary and vegetarians ... so aside from maybe sneaking some feed or scratch, and making messy nests, I have not noticed them to be a bother... but I still remove them from the coop/shed.

There are of course other species of wood rats that are called pack rats too.... but I don't think those generally harm chickens either.... I could be wrong though.

All of that ....is to say, if you have common rats (Norway rats) then this is a good suspect for something that might kill a hen and eat the head.... and so something that you do indeed want to deal with.

Edit to add:
Also, if you have rats... there is a good chance you don't have minks or weasels as those critters like to kill rats... but that is not to say a mink or weasel didn't come for the rats and stay for the chickens... it's just hard to say without more info

 

[centrarchid]

I am not sure if it was day or night, as it was the first Monday of daylight savings time, and I just added feed and water and left in the morning, not checking the coop, and not seeing the bird.

I have had a small hole under the fence line that I was pretty sure was a pack rat, from the tracks in the run. I should have done something about it, buggers.

Course now we are socked in with snow.

I am setting a trap for the next few nights. I have had coons many a time, but they always tear the body apart. This, (my favorite) is just missing her head.

Mrs K

You might be able to rule out a rat based on whether feathers were also consumed or not. My limited rodent issues had feathers not being consumed by the rodent. They would eat down.

 

[Mrs. K]

I have had coons numerous times, and they always tear my birds apart. I was not too worried about the pack rat, or wood rat, as I figured he was getting a free meal what the chickens left. It was in a difficult place to get to with the winter. So I left it.

Two birds are gone, one completely. One just the head. Not a bird of prey, completely enclosed. I would be pretty sure it was a coon, except the hole is too small for a coon, but they have gotten through my fencing before.

 

[centrarchid]

Any feathers indicating nature of struggle?