PLEASE HELP ME! Face being eaten? Beaks gone???? Help! GRAPHIC PICS!!!

[NYRIR]

Quote:
x2....It does look like something chewed the face off though...it would have affected every bird by now if it was that fast moving of a bacteria you would think.My bet is some predator has figured out a way to grab the faces and get them through that chicken wire...whether possum or rat..or whatever..I definitely vote for a cam....

 

[CrazyFowlFreak]

Looks like a mink or weasel of some kind to me.

 

[Miyashi]

I'm so sorry.
I couldn't even believe these photos were real.
I'm glad you sent her off....if it came down to it like that, I think I would do the same...even though I'm weak.
That's so sad....
I have no idea....I haven't had any predator problems thankfully. (knock on wood!)
I really hope you can figure this out....and oman if this is the work of people.....oh ho ho....I'll be there!
I will bring so much of the ruckus.
I'm sure you would bring plenty to whatever is doing this....
Poor birds...I cried.
My heart goes out to you and yours<3

 

[Pickaduck]

Oh my Lord. My heart just hurts for you!

I'm so so so so sorry. I don't think it's fungal/bacterial. I think this is a predator. It's just so horrifying.. you know, you see those possums and raccoons, etc all the time and until you own something that they consider prey you just never realize how dangerous they are! Growing up, possums were just a nuisance but seeing how they can be so vicious and brutal it just makes me sick. I understand the necessity for predators to have prey but why can't they just kill the bird? Why do they have to do such horrible things to them? It just seems so cruel.

I hope you set up a cam and then see what you are dealing with. My thoughts are with you - I know this must be so hard!

 

[nurseshelly]

I'm so sorry for you and your chickens

I hope you find out what is doing it.

 

[quetsweyo]

Sorry if i freaked out earlier, the faces eaten off thing did it. Absolutely not looking at the chick pics. Other posts sounds like only the beak is gone, is that right? Or parts at the front of skull including eyes? Something about an eye swollen shut. Infection can set in in a matter of hours, been there. How far is that fence rail from that window? I noticed that when i go out at night to check on chicks i look in and heads pop up. This is an awful mystery, i hope you solve it soon. Me, my crazy butt would bring them in house at night. Poor little chix. Q

 

[Teresaann24]

A raccoon could have done this. I thought this kinda thing could not happen to my chickens perfect pens coops nothing was getting in. Well I started finding chickens pulled through the fences some missing just legs or wings or heads or crops or like this one beaks gone.


This is what I caught..These things will reach in and grab whatever they can. They don't care what it is.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

That is just... disturbing. I hope you catch whatever did it

 

[nurse_turtle]

The only thing that comes to mind is a opossum, weasel or raccoon. I know a raccoon will place his little feet into a lower hole in the fence and wiggle it's fingers (under the cover of night). The chickens go over to explore a potential meal, and the coon snatches the chick by the head/neck and chews off what it can. Then perhaps the injured chicks run back into the coop house and you find them there. Recommend placing a smaller gauge wire around the bottom portion of your run area and consider renting a live trap from animal control. Bait with sardines or other stinky meat and see if you can catch a culprit to give you some ideas how to control or eliminate them.

Good Luck! I'm so sorry for your loss.

 

[Pickaduck]

Quote:
Please be very careful when in close contact with raccoons. In my state (Alabama) if you get in close contact with one it's automatically recommended that you do the rabies treatment because it's such a huge problem here.

I used to think of them as cute little creatures and even though they are doing what nature intended (well, in a way at least) it's still pretty vicious.