One tough hen

[gotago]

Last night, a predator pushed in my egg door , pulling the metal eye hook out of the wood and tearing the door up. It reached inside and pulled out one of my 15 week old Austrolorp hens. I looked out this morning and found the destruction, counted my girls and discovered that one was missing. We found the missing hen 15 minutes later in the field beside our home. Her back and butt are tore up pretty good. The vet stitched her up, removing what was left of her tail and she is recovering inside with us for the next month before she rejoins the other girls. We made repairs to the coop and have a leg hold trap set by the scene of the crime. This hen had a pretty tough night, as soon as she saw us she came running just cackling away. We scooped her up and she settled right down. Anyone have any idea what predator broke into my coop last night? They did a number on my door, lots of splintered wood etc... The consensus so far is either a bear, a raccoon or a weasel. Any ideas?

 

[Zookeeper9000]

I would think a bear would of torn the whole coop apart and that hen would not of made it. If the wood was old maybe a racoon but not sure about that.

I more or less just want to say sorry about your hen and welcome you to the BYC. Hope someone with more experiance then me can help ya.

 

[nhnanna]

I just wanted to say I hope your hen gets better fast.

 

[panner123]

Whatever it was, it will be back. Place some sand around the coop. When it happens again you will be able to see the footprints. Being the door was pushed in, I will bet it was a bear. In any case, keep a BIG gun loaded if you have no small children around. Don't shoot at it, hit it and kill it with one clean shot.

 

[Duppydo]

Sorry for your loss..A big raccoon can do allot of damage. My brother and i did a repair job on a guys roof that raccoons tore up. They were living in the attic, what a mess, they chewed through aspalt singles and half in plywood shealthing..
Could have been a bear as well...i think the sand around the coop mentioned is a great idea.. animal tracks don't lie...! Hope you get that sucker, before he strikes again...!

 

[sdshoars]

glad she is doing ok!

 

[Guinea Goonie]

I would say a coon. If a possum got in, they would kill every thing they could. I doubt it was a fox or the weasel family, they would leave nothing but carnage. A coom usually kills by decapitation. A possum will start on the back and tail area. But, the coon may have just been able to grab the wrong end.
Hope your hen does well.

 

[horsejody]

sounds like a coon

 

[NurseNettie]

Quote:
After what a racoon did to my 2 ducks and 1 of my hens-- never underestimate a racoon.