name my predator (warning, dead chicken pic)

[emorems0]

What did this? I've lost so many birds in the past two months, most of the time they just disappear, sometimes they are left like this. Inside the run, no evidence of digging under the fence, top of the fence is floppy so no climbing, I'm thinking an aerial attack. Most happen at night or early morning. Owl? Hawk? I don't see a bird of prey staying in the run to kill it and leave it, so... two different predators (bird of prey taking them, something else killing others in the run). The dead birds were barely eaten, usually just ripped open and left, always at night.

*yes, I know my birds should be locked up in the coop at night. I've been working on integrating two sets of birds all summer but my 2 RIRs are big meanies. The young birds were too afraid to go in the coop at night but kept getting picked off by the predator. Finally I locked them all in the coop together and the RIRs ripped up the back of my little Delaware ' head in the morning. Last night I decided the littles should have the coop and the meanies could sleep outside, and I woke up to a dead RIR. The only consolation is that we've been taking about getting rid of these meanies anyway, better a bully than another one of my new birds. Tonight they'll go in the tractor since it has a closed top (won't help if something is reaching through the fence though).

 

[aart]

How far from the top of the plastic mesh fence is the top of that pallet?
Could be an owl tho too.

Doesn't really matter what predator tho, securing your coop at night is the cure.

 

[emorems0]

Never considered the pallet... fence is about a foot higher. But how would the predator have gotten back out? I know securing my coop is key (as I've mentioned in the OP), but I'm dealing with flock management issues as well. My RIRs are real bullies and have done serious damage to my other birds in the past. I simply cannot force them all into the secure coop at this point but I need to keep the young ones locked in there so they can learn it is home. If my predator is something that could tunnel or squeeze under my tractor, keeping the older birds in there while the young ones imprint on the coop isn't going to help. If its an owl or hawk, the tractor will do the job.

Unfortunately, my choices are keep the older bullies as safe as possible while the young birds learn the coop (temporary), lock them all in the coop and let the old birds kill the young ones, or keep on as usual and let the young birds get picked off one by one every night because they won't sleep in the coop with the bullies. See my dilemma? It's not as simple as 'just securing my coop'. My coop is secure, it's a matter of keeping everyone safe while the young ones learn to sleep in the coop at night. Knowing my predator will help me keep the old birds safer while the young ones learn the coop.

 

[123RedBeard]

RIR tastes like chicken Yummy!

It is possible that with only one "meanie" left, that it will not feel quite like ganging up, as it no longer has a partner ...

Could you put the RIR in a dog crate in the coop, or separate it somehow in the coop?

I can't see the picture very good, what is the purpose of the pallet? Gate? Hold up the fence? Close a gap in the fence? Seems like an easy ladder for a four footed bandit!

 

[emorems0]

Pallet has no purpose... just leaning up there so the grass doesn't grow up through it. It was an extra from another project and will eventually get used for something else. Going to lug it up to the garage today. My dog crates are pretty big and would take up a lot of coop space. Might work as a temporary measure though... and my one RIR would be a lot easier to catch at night than the 3 pullets.

 

[Cyrus83]

I would say owl, The top of the run is not covered? A weasel would be the other possible, If they can fit their head thru something, they can get the rest of their body thru it. I have never had a weasel try to drag anything away, they always ate what they wanted on the spot.

 

[duluthralphie]

I think raptor, owl, hawk or eagle, but with the pallet and the size of the openings in the wire I would not rule out a weasel. A mink or Pine martin could have climbed the pallet and then back up the inside of the wire and over the top. If it flops to the outside it would not bother him.

I have never had a weasel take more than the head and a small amount of neck/crop area.

Do you have possums there?