Need help

[Asodjr]

Hello sure old and most asked thing. I have something picking off my flock lost 9 turkeys and 6 chickens takes heads and breast meat , live in Kentucky central part have set live traps and nothing any ideas would be appreciated very much

 

[ValerieJ]

Hi! Welcome to BYC! Perhaps an areal predator?

 

[FathertoFeathers]

Sounds like a fox or a raccoon. I had a friend who had a raccoon come into the cage and rip the heads off and just leave the body. I hope your able to Cath the critter!

 

[TwistedSteel]

Yeah sounds like it might be an owl.

 

[slordaz]

Most likely culprit doing that would be a fox,coon or bigger cat, to go after the Turkey too. if you can hot wire the fence and install a game cam, and figure out where they are getting in and reinforce you perimeter so they are safe.

We had to get an extra big trap for like a Wolf to trap the coon that was decimating my friends flock because the large one they could still reach far enough to manipulate the mechanism and set itself free, Also tie your bait dead center to the trap. different predators though are more likely to go after different things, was stinky crap for the coon. some people just use the rest of a carcass of something they've already killed too.

This jerk tore apart the welded wire after taking on tied on chicken mesh and took down a 2 year old Jersey giant cross, and reason why recommend the hot wire, they will be back as they got a meal

 

[Asodjr]

Hi! Welcome to BYC! Perhaps an areal predator?

Thank you

Sounds like a fox or a raccoon. I had a friend who had a raccoon come into the cage and rip the heads off and just leave the body. I hope your able to Cath the critter!

Okay thank you ,

View attachment 1916130 Most likely culprit doing that would be a fox,coon or bigger cat, to go after the Turkey too. if you can hot wire the fence and install a game cam, and figure out where they are getting in and reinforce you perimeter so they are safe.

We had to get an extra big trap for like a Wolf to trap the coon that was decimating my friends flock because the large one they could still reach far enough to manipulate the mechanism and set itself free, Also tie your bait dead center to the trap. different predators though are more likely to go after different things, was stinky crap for the coon. some people just use the rest of a carcass of something they've already killed too.

This jerk tore apart the welded wire after taking on tied on chicken mesh and took down a 2 year old Jersey giant cross, and reason why recommend the hot wire, they will be back as they got a meal

what is happening one a night

 

[Asodjr]

I was thinking coon or weasel, owl makes sense, will hook up electric to pen and try trap thank you all!!!!!!!

 

[slordaz]

They would killed 4 the first night and drug them off, when they couldn't get in that way the jerks ripped the lid off the box hinges to collect the eggs as it had a slide bar to keep it shut. killed 3 more second night, injured 1 hen pretty bad and about took the cockerels head off, but the hen didn't make it too deep of a chest wound, cockerel did make it but took a lot of doctoring looked like the back of his head and neck had been scalped, didn't get any feathers in for almost 6 months when they went into molt, she cleaned the injury first with hydrogen peroxide, then applied triple antibiotic 2 times a day then once it was closed the blue Kote, hens were so terrified she chose to let him stay with them as everyone was less aggitated

 

[ValerieJ]

If it's a ground predator, and you have had a trap out for a few days, then perhaps change the lure.