,New, to me, threat to the flock-(graphic pics)

[Velociraptors]

I want to point out that, depending on where you live and the environment, this could also be the work of a fox with kits. I had an issue very similar to this a few years ago, but with over a dozen deaths thanks to her teaching the young ones how to hunt. Never ate any, just left them strewn from their coop, all the way through the yard and back toward the woods.

 

[PoppasGrill]

In a previous post you had a pup killing chickens and an older dog that joined in until you stopped them both. Can't help but wonder if the older dog is attacking chickens again since seeing the eagle kill them. Forgive me if I'm wrong just trying to help.

Our dogs were attacking chickens when the chickens got into the front of the property over the fence. Have kept the dogs fenced in front yard, and were in the house at the time. If it was a dog it wasn’t ours, and the donkeys would attack a dog. I don’t know.
There might be something other than the Eagle, but have seen anything.
She is going to try to block the barn to keep the girls locked up. There are bushes and hiding spots around the yard, but the ladies do venture into the pasture looking for bugs and such.

 

[McChooky]

Our dogs were attacking chickens when the chickens got into the front of the property over the fence. Have kept the dogs fenced in front yard, and were in the house at the time. If it was a dog it wasn’t ours, and the donkeys would attack a dog. I don’t know.
There might be something other than the Eagle, but have seen anything.
She is going to try to block the barn to keep the girls locked up. There are bushes and hiding spots around the yard, but the ladies do venture into the pasture looking for bugs and such.

An inexperienced dog isn't likely to have so many successful kills and leave no survivors with injuries

 

[McChooky]

I want to point out that, depending on where you live and the environment, this could also be the work of a fox with kits. I had an issue very similar to this a few years ago, but with over a dozen deaths thanks to her teaching the young ones how to hunt. Never ate any, just left them strewn from their coop, all the way through the yard and back toward the woods.

Yes 4-6 months they start hunting on their own.That would explain why they managed to kill so many but retrieved none

 

[McChooky]

Our dogs were attacking chickens when the chickens got into the front of the property over the fence. Have kept the dogs fenced in front yard, and were in the house at the time. If it was a dog it wasn’t ours, and the donkeys would attack a dog. I don’t know.
There might be something other than the Eagle, but have seen anything.
She is going to try to block the barn to keep the girls locked up. There are bushes and hiding spots around the yard, but the ladies do venture into the pasture looking for bugs and such.

Sorry for your loss!

 

[PoppasGrill]

I want to point out that, depending on where you live and the environment, this could also be the work of a fox with kits. I had an issue very similar to this a few years ago, but with over a dozen deaths thanks to her teaching the young ones how to hunt. Never ate any, just left them strewn from their coop, all the way through the yard and back toward the woods.

It is something to consider, like I said, it could be something else. I do believe the donkeys would have caught a fox or kits after a few kills, they have caught a bobcat after it’s 2nd kill.
Neighbor is telling us that the Eagle flew to the pasture and started eating and was chased off by the donkeys, but it is a lot of kills for 1 Eagle.

 

[McChooky]

I've read eagles will kill a lot of free range chickens if they're in an open field.They'll even eat and scratch around with the eagles standing right beside them but that doesn't explain why the eagles aren't eating any of them . Donkeys much be much better watchdogs than I thought if these eagles killed that many but couldn't eat them.They do a good job of protecting our baby goats here!I would get a game camera to see what's killing them.We even use baby monitors in the coop so we can hear our chickens at night.If there's any way you can spend a little time training your dog(s) to protect your chickens they can free range with them so they can protect them.If I can train a 3 yr old male Basset hound you can train yours. Bassets are one of the most stubborn dogs on earth but because they're hounds they love to chase predators

 

[PoppasGrill]

I've read eagles will kill a lot of free range chickens if they're in an open field.They'll even eat and scratch around with the eagles standing right beside them but that doesn't explain why the eagles aren't eating any of them . Donkeys much be much better watchdogs than I thought if these eagles killed that many but couldn't eat them.They do a good job of protecting our baby goats here!I would get a game camera to see what's killing them.We even use baby monitors in the coop so we can hear our chickens at night.If there's any way you can spend a little time training your dog(s) to protect your chickens they can free range with them so they can protect them.If I can train a 3 yr old male Basset hound you can train yours. Bassets are one of the most stubborn dogs on earth but because they're hounds they love to chase predators

I've read eagles will kill a lot of free range chickens if they're in an open field.They'll even eat and scratch around with the eagles standing right beside them but that doesn't explain why the eagles aren't eating any of them . Donkeys much be much better watchdogs than I thought if these eagles killed that many but couldn't eat them.They do a good job of protecting our baby goats here!I would get a game camera to see what's killing them.We even use baby monitors in the coop so we can hear our chickens at night.If there's any way you can spend a little time training your dog(s) to protect your chickens they can free range with them so they can protect them.If I can train a 3 yr old male Basset hound you can train yours. Bassets are one of the most stubborn dogs on earth but because they're hounds they love to chase predators

The donkeys are great protection, haven’t seen a coyote since we got them.
They did curb stomp 2 turkeys, not sure why. Only thing I figured is they were full grown when we got the donks, the others that we raised from chicks with the donkeys around aren’t messed with.
As I said in another post, we can take the older dog in the field with us and he leaves the chickens alone, but wouldn’t leave him unattended. And the donks will go after him on site.

 

[McChooky]

Too bad you can't put the donkeys up .Dogs do a much better job.

 

[PoppasGrill]

Tried hanging shiney things around like FWC recommended, but didn’t hang them high enough as the donks pulled 3 of the 5 down. They were 4 reflective disks on a string x5 .
So, Eagle came back this morning and unfortunately killed a Roo that was herding the hens back to the barn. He tried to put up a fight, but is only 1/3 the size of this bird. Wife was in the barn and heard the commotion, by the time she got out the donkeys were running to the end of the pasture and she watched the Eagle fly off.
Going to put reflective stuff back up, higher this time, and purchased a kite that is shaped like a Hawk that attaches to a 40’ pole and supposed to be light enough to fly on minimal breeze.
Don’t want to go to jail for injuring a protected bird, but almost out of ideas to protect the Ladies.