MORE info wanted about our killer , some help needed

[strangeanimal]

wanted : The killer that bit the head of from my chicken and left it there with its guts out yet not messy ?
Hi all ,
as mentioned in my describing above , I am trying to find out what we are looking for because after reading things about how predators leave the scene this is not a match with any of them or perhaps all of them ...

We found a chicken ( only 1 , the SMALLEST bird about the size of a grown bird in the wild ) dismembered of its head and the body was about 6 inches further , only all the guts were shown and especially the liver and kidnees were both missing , the heart was looking as if it was all cleaned of , and also where the head was bitten off , I would say it looks like a " clean kill " , no blood everywhere , not even feathers and I was examining it , it looks like it is done with a very sharp knife , so clean !
now why it is hard to find its killer ?
number 1 : the worst predator the human is ruled out already ( I was at home and only I did walk around in the yard and I swear I did not do it ( wait I was hungry ... BUT I WENT FOR EGGS )
number 2 : it doesnt seem to be a predator looking for eggs because I counted and all eggs were there , intact )
number 3 : I live in Europe Belgium , a snake dies in the wild here ( sad I love them )
nr 4 : my neigbours complained about the many cats , including my own constantly sleeping and sneaking around in their yards , my cat is usually not a killer to the chickens because dotty once yelled at her " stupid cat , this is OUR place ! go away " and my cat Poofy did not even bother to answer , she left , altough at night she went into the coop a few times , yet every morning the same known faces showed up and no one was missing (perhaps the suspects are the neigbours but since they are losing chickens too , I doubt it and they only have whites , mine would be spotted in less than a minute ...)
nr 5 : constructionwork has started only a few meters from my yard , my old piece of land has turned into a sad piece of ... sand , trees are gone and a waterpomp is installed , this resulsts in the following :
a) many neighbours claim to have seen rats as big as cats (? seriously ??? that big ? )
b ) ok admitting to the fact there are some strange holes in the backyard I assume these are mice ? not rats ??
c ) I noticed my cat must have a great appetite or is doing sharity since her feeder is all day long empty and in less than two hours she seems to be hungry again ? these are ? her friends eating catfeed ? her having major boulemia ? I diswormed her again to be sure it werent worms and still her feeder is always empty ? did not see any other cats tough ?
and D : last but not least : they are killing many trees only about 6 meters from my property , I can only guess that ALL kinds of predatory animals are running to this area ?? ( because they know I am so close to animals )

who has any idea what predatory animal I'm dealing with please ?
NOTE : attack came from ground , not air ! ( there is no way getting in from the sky I tried during skydiving while I was building the fences higher up to involve a few small trees and when I added extra confinement on the top + birdwire which is still intact ( not one little hole ! ) yet we have a dead chicken , killed very clean sort of speak . I honestly have no experience at all ( besides the fox once long ago ) with predatory animals and have already done some reading but can not really find a good ' match ' .
so wanted : your ideao , the killer , reward : a major thank you !
p.s. : You might be thinking I'm laughing on the situation , but please understand my " sense of humor " in this as this is my way of dealing with fear , sadness etc , it is irony and I am aware many wouldn't understand that , yet for those who would not understand : that is OK , I'm not laughing no , but I better joke around a little bit instead of doing nothing at all and watching them vanish one by one

 

[andreanar]

I'm not familiar with the wildlife in your country. Did this happen in the coop? While free ranging? Were the other chickens around? Raccoons take off heads, but usually kill or injure all birds. Possum is another suspect.

 

[strangeanimal]

I'm not familiar with the wildlife in your country. Did this happen in the coop? While free ranging? Were the other chickens around? Raccoons take off heads, but usually kill or injure all birds. Possum is another suspect.

hi , sorry , that is in fact some crucial information and I left it out ... I am not sure when exactly this happened but my bet is early morning or night , however night does not seem to be that obvious as I have been busy during night too in-and outside due the fact I'm renting houses and owners had some problems that needed to be solved so I have been outside too to do some things , coop was as usual not crowded with chickens because many of my flock dare to sleep just outside wide in the open upon some tree branches and that smaller bird often hid under the tree branches or took just the smallest one all way down close to ground , the run was closed of tough with wire everywhere BUT some of the wire is not build in that deep yet ( the wire had to be taken out because the neigbours were working to get a fence in wood , that gives any predator the chance to sneak in to be fair ) I noticed it only during daylight in the morning when I wanted them to go free range (half free range system given the fact they go nuts in a coop and run because they are used to the freedom ) but that little one was a gift , I do not know the exact breed but they are very much known to be broody and good mothers too , they are more hairy instead of feathered , she is the victim and I see why no other chicken is : the rest is mainly the Old English Games , being used to free range and exellent in defenses and hiding too ! so it does not surprise me they were no victim at all but still , I'm kinda scared because that little one was not stupid either !!! so this happened when ? night yes and no , more to early morning while my roo started at about 4 am , usually he starts at 5 am but now it was 4 ... )
thx for thinking along anyway already ! I first assumed a possum but its different plus there are also other birds that are not used to free range like the Old english gamebirds , so why are they not attacked , right ? no one lacks anything at all ???

 

[strangeanimal]

given the fact people here are buying A LOT of ratpoisen and traps , would it be possible a rat has done that ? I honestly would really doubt this but what predator eats catfood , (meat and dry food !!! ) and kill a chicken like this ?
Also just not entirely ruled out a cat , this place is really overrun by cats during the night , not in the day ( odd ? ) and some dare to sneak on the chickens I witnessed on my neighbours turkeys here too , but never did he tell a chicken or any other bird got killed by cats or rats and we live at the same kind of land here ?
He was the one claiming to have seen a rat in his turkeyhouse , but no one got inured ??
So i have no idea , isnt a rat only a killer if they get driven away somewhere ?? right now that is what is happening to all the wildlife closeby ( that forest gets destroyed .... ) waterpumps are looking like a sew system now , I think that attracts rats right ??
no we got zip idea but so many suspects !

 

[Labradors]

I cannot think what it could be - in Belgium unless it`s a weasel, but I suggest that somebody else is eating your cat`s food. I strongly suggest that you feed your cat inside so that you don`t attract predators who can then help themselves to your chickens.

 

[andreanar]

Doesn't seem like a cat. Or a rat. Neither could get the head off cleanly. If the bird killed was a polish or silkie, Ive heard they don't see as well because of their feathers and that may be why that was the one grabbed?

 

[strangeanimal]

I cannot think what it could be - in Belgium unless it`s a weasel, but I suggest that somebody else is eating your cat`s food. I strongly suggest that you feed your cat inside so that you don`t attract predators who can then help themselves to your chickens.

I feed the cat inside but sometimes she does not come home so I need to leave some food for her in that case , yet her feeder is constantly empty while she had not even been around , this is soooo weird , feeder is taken inside + chickenfeed too , they get food by the cup now only that they eat in one time because I do not like to risk any predator coming for them , really getting worried sick because there is just NOT ONE idea what could have done this , same is going on with everyone closeby owning chickens or other birds !

 

[apryl29]

I would stop leaving the cat food out all the time, take it in at night. Mice, rats, possums, raccoons, and other animals will eat it, and come back bc they know it's there. You're drawing predators to your yard. We had a possum that took over our cat house one winter bc of the cat food. For the chickens.. I'd try to get them in the coop at night, if possible & lock them in to keep them safe. If possible, you could do a live trap, but you'd have to bring your cats in.

 

[strangeanimal]

Doesn't seem like a cat. Or a rat. Neither could get the head off cleanly. If the bird killed was a polish or silkie, Ive heard they don't see as well because of their feathers and that may be why that was the one grabbed?

yeah it was indeed such bird :-( , she was honestly the nicest in the entire coop here , so sweet she was , I did not know they couldnt see well ( pfff if I had known this I did more effords to keep that one safe !
I will have to wait how the area here tells when another victim seems to have happened , hopefully not my birdies but I guess it will be a necissary loss this time to protect the rest ? gosh this is sad !

 

[andreanar]

Id start rounding up your birds at dusk and lock them in the coop overnight. Coons and possum can climb up into trees and chickens do not move at night so they will be sitting ducks for any predator.