Murder Mystery :(

[HeadHen88]

One of my free range chickens was killed but not eaten by an unknown predator yesterday between the hours of 6-9pm (we live in southern Ontario on 100 acres of farmland) right beside our back door. No other chickens were harmed or missing feathers. No dogs ever seen on or near our property. Raccoon(s) present but never bothered with chickens and seem afraid of them if anything (we haven't seen any raccoons since I stopped putting out birdfeed over a month ago). Weasel (Martin) and fox(es) seen in front of the house from a distance in the past month but never seen in the back where the attack took place. Our neighbours barn cat used to try catching (pouncing from behind) them in the past but not lately... she still hangs around flock during the day and the chickens are pretty used to her. Coyotes always stay near tree line never this close. Opossums and skunks also seen on the patio in the past. Attacker had to be very stealthy as chickens (5-6 would have been out at the time) and very young rooster are quick to spot predators and make subsequent alarm calls. It appears that whatever killed her was about the same height but I could be wrong. All attack marks, and no chunks or parts eaten. It would have had time to eat her if it wanted to. We have been doing a ton of research on the most likely predators and how they kill/attack and are still a baffled. Everything points to weasel based on injuries but it's hard to imagine one coming this close to the house. Given the evidence in the photos (one of scene of attack and one of extent of injuries with descriptions included), and your experience with this, who do you suspect is the most likely perpetrator? Thank you for your time! ❤

 

[LateBirdFarms]

Im no expert, Im lucky that my husband likes to go overboard when he builds, so I've never personally had an issue with predation, I've had some raccoons get bold enough to try but they haven't had any success... It could have been shy fox disturbed mid kill, or something from the weasel family, we do have a few in southern Ontario. Even a coyote. Seems a bit early in the evening for a raccoon... any barn cats around? Do you have a trail cam handy? Whatever it was, it might come back now that it knows there's a meal to be had at your place and give it another go, so a camera of some kind would solve your mystery in no time!

**edit** just a thought, were there any other feathers of a different sort? Possibly from a hawk?

 

[hayley3]

One of my free range chickens was killed but not eaten by an unknown predator yesterday between the hours of 6-9pm (we live in southern Ontario on 100 acres of farmland) right beside our back door. No other chickens were harmed or missing feathers. No dogs ever seen on or near our property. Raccoon(s) present but never bothered with chickens and seem afraid of them if anything (we haven't seen any raccoons since I stopped putting out birdfeed over a month ago). Weasel (Martin) and fox(es) seen in front of the house from a distance in the past month but never seen in the back where the attack took place. Our neighbours barn cat used to try catching (pouncing from behind) them in the past but not lately... she still hangs around flock during the day and the chickens are pretty used to her. Coyotes always stay near tree line never this close. Opossums and skunks also seen on the patio in the past. Attacker had to be very stealthy as chickens (5-6 would have been out at the time) and very young rooster are quick to spot predators and make subsequent alarm calls. It appears that whatever killed her was about the same height but I could be wrong. All attack marks, and no chunks or parts eaten. It would have had time to eat her if it wanted to. We have been doing a ton of research on the most likely predators and how they kill/attack and are still a baffled. Everything points to weasel based on injuries but it's hard to imagine one coming this close to the house. Given the evidence in the photos (one of scene of attack and one of extent of injuries with descriptions included), and your experience with this, who do you suspect is the most likely perpetrator? Thank you for your time! ❤

Between 6 and 9pm is raccoon time at my place, and I'm on EST.
Whatever it was, it could've been interrupted and didn't get to finish.
I had a chicken that was in the mouth of a raccoon and he tore her open around her rib cage.
She could've gotten that damage trying to escape her predator.
You will never know for sure, you have plenty of predators so your chickens should be supervised or electric fence on the perimeter to keep out the foxes, coyotes, weasels, and raccoons. In my opinion, skunks and possums only kill if their prey is unable to move freely, ie. cornered.

 

[Yep I Talk To Chickens]

Maybe a racoon? I don't think it would be fox or coyote. Is its crop missing?

 

[LateBirdFarms]

Strange. Raccoons around my area (in southern ontario) don't really start to get active until after 9, usually a good deal later than that, in full dark, not settlinguntil just before sunup unless its garbage night. But I could just have lazy raccoons.

 

[HeadHen88]

Im no expert, Im lucky that my husband likes to go overboard when he builds, so I've never personally had an issue with predation, I've had some raccoons get bold enough to try but they haven't had any success... It could have been shy fox disturbed mid kill, or something from the weasel family, we do have a few in southern Ontario. Even a coyote. Seems a bit early in the evening for a raccoon... any barn cats around? Do you have a trail cam handy? Whatever it was, it might come back now that it knows there's a meal to be had at your place and give it another go, so a camera of some kind would solve your mystery in no time!

**edit** just a thought, were there any other feathers of a different sort? Possibly from a hawk?

Thanks! Yeah we have some trail cams but they're elsewhere right now. I would like to put one up though. Yes there's a barn cat (mentioned above) and no other feathers found. My boyfriend is also hardcore with the building (our coop and run are perfectly predator proof) but fencing around the free range area isn't an option as it's not our land. 1.5 years of free ranging from 8am-9pm and never an incident. Thanks again for your time.

 

[RainbowHen]

Weasel will kill and leave the prey

 

[HeadHen88]

Between 6 and 9pm is raccoon time at my place, and I'm on EST.
Whatever it was, it could've been interrupted and didn't get to finish.
I had a chicken that was in the mouth of a raccoon and he tore her open around her rib cage.
She could've gotten that damage trying to escape her predator.
You will never know for sure, you have plenty of predators so your chickens should be supervised or electric fence on the perimeter to keep out the foxes, coyotes, weasels, and raccoons. In my opinion, skunks and possums only kill if their prey is unable to move freely, ie. cornered.

Thanks! Fencing around the area isn't an option as it isn't our land and we said we wouldn't.

 

[HeadHen88]

Maybe a racoon? I don't think it would be fox or coyote. Is its crop missing?

Thanks! Her crop wasn't missing. Nothing taken just injuries.

 

[LateBirdFarms]

If you came out to lock them down for the night, you very well might have startled it off the kill. Some how I missed reading a whole chunk of your original post, mainly the part where youlisted your possible predators, sorry! Barn cats can be mean and pretty persistent if they get bored. If it's a matter of not wanting to invest to much into your rental, a hotwire fence is pretty easy to take with you in the event you have to move (thankfully, because it absolutely is an investment!)