Need Help Identifying

[stormhasit]

This morning when I left for work all the birds were fine. When I get home I have one bird (out of 17) dead with the head and part of the crop area gone. The rest of her was untouched.

I first thought either possom or coon - but they only come out during the night... any ideas?

 

[OHWoosterChick]

Weasel or mink? I think that fits their MO but I am a newbie so I am sure you'll get more concrete info from others. They can get through VERY small holes. Good luck!

 

[Boyd]

Quote:

I think coon, I have seen them out during the day before...... Unless they free range and were loose, then I'd say hawk

 

[stormhasit]

I've never known of either the weasel or mink in my area - I am in North Central Texas northwest of Fort Worth area.

If this helps any.

 

[stormhasit]

also - it was inside the coop!!!

 

[19hhbelgian]

It very well could have been a weasel or mink. They squeeze through just about anything. Although, my ducks would always gang up on the mink at our old house, and chase it away - I don't know if chickens would do the same thing or not. A weasel would be a little larger than a mink as far as I know.

 

[Zookeeper9000]

I would say coon and yes they will come out during the day. I know had 4 come after me and my son in the early afternoon. They were fearless, we didn't get hurt but all 4 were located to a small shallow grave in the back field.

I was really glad of the pet taxi lady down the road that day, I called and her and her son came and dispatched them right quick.

 

[bettisworth]

Storm,

I thought I would throw in my 2 cents here. I have read several other posts, and seen where some have been plagued with something killing their birds, when the cage wire was very small, and no way that a larger animal could get in. I wonder if this is the culprit in some cases. I did not see where you gave any coop statistics, so I do not know if this fits your scenario or not, but think you will find this interesting as I did.

My grandma used to talk about weasels,attacking her chickens. I live on the same farm she did, and I thought she was crazy, as I was outside in the woods most of the time, and had never seen one. I am 42 now, and saw my first one about 4 years ago, and have not seen one since. I was on my tractor, and hauling a bale of hay. I noticed a dead mouse in the gravel, in the center of the road. On my return trip, I saw this little white thing, that ran like a snake, lol with a serpentine gyration, grab the dead mouse and run with it. It looked like an otter, but only very small, and pure white. The mouse was a small one and the "white thing" was not much bigger. I later learned it was a weasel.

You do have them in Texas. Here are a couple links. The one from Missouri gives a better physical description, and the one from Texas documents that they are where you are at. Hope this sheds some light, it did for me! The one from Texas, look on page 11.


http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_bk_k0700_0517.pdf


http://mdc.mo.gov/hunt/furbear/index.htm#weasel

 

[stormhasit]

THIS IS HORRIBLE!!!!

I am just sick over this. I left today for about 4 hours - left sometime around 11-12. Got home and found 2 more dead chickens. One eaten on severly starting at the head - the other had a broken neck but was otherwise intact.

Believe tonight & tomorrow we are taking turns here setting up camp outside. This is just wrong.

I think it is probably a possom - but I'm still not 100% sure. I really don't think skunk as there is no odor - and I have not seen any coons or tracks or signs there of... but I do know I've seen a possom in the past. I've asked my neighbors about the weasels and no one has seen or heard of one around here.

The critter I am battling here now is very Bold - it is going Inside the coop and pens from the top I believe, otherwise it is squishing thru the mesh of the fence during broad daylight in the middle of the day. This much I am absolutely certain of. All fencing is intact and not disturbed.
I am also now keeping the lights in the coop on now all the time so IF the hens start "chattering" about something I can check Immediately with no issues. I have also set the carcass of the last bird it killed out where it will be easy target practice.

I do have tonight and tomorrow to keep watch but I also have to go to work Monday! I am already planning on trying to scrounge/scrape/ beg/ or borrow enough to get a live trap to keep baited with the kitty food (both wet and dry!) outside the hens house till this thing is caught/killed/ no longer a threat. Be picking this up in the morning.

Just cant believe I've lost 3 birds in less than 24 hours (one being the best of every bird on the Place!!) - gruesomely - after I've had birds here for well over a couple of years!! Yes I've had snake issues - and other minor predators... but NOTHING like this!!

I'll keep you informed when I do get it!! (Note here - NOT IF BUT WHEN!)

 

[Bizzybirdy]

Racoons almost always take the head off. Possums are kinda lazy and usually don't climb fences, trees maybe more often. Sounds like a racoon. They seem to be getting bolder this year all over the country and coming out earlier.

Just had one kill my old pet cat.

It was that racoon's last meal. Caught it the following night!