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

[Smokin Silkies]

Wait...I tried to look up that chupacabre thing and they aren't real lol

 

[Smittenroade]

Quote:
Definately it. The only logical explanation besides human intervention. Something is getting them when they poke their beaks through.

 

[Smokin Silkies]

All the years I've had chickens & never seen anything like this! I wonder how the possum is able to do this when theres nothing for them to stand on to reach in the window? Theres also no claw/scratch marks anywhere on the coops?

Quote:
Definately it. The only logical explanation besides human intervention. Something is getting them when they poke their beaks through.

 

[9farmgirl9]

It could be a oppsum, coon or weasel---when i first got my guineas i had them in a trianlge pins on the ground they were made of chicken wire. And one morning i went out there and there was a beak laying there i looked and sure enough on of my keets dead and then i looked a little harder and saw it also ripped the head off of 2 and just left them there, which i was lucky all i had blocking the opening in the cage was a cardboard box and it could have knock it down and got them all. but it didn't. So i moved all my guineas in to our stock trailer. they were fine for 2 days them the next morning i went out and 5 more killed. But it left 4 in the cage and it opened the door. And the walls on our trailer are over 5ft high. it managed to get in and out. I suppose what was etting mine is getting yours. What ever was getting mine took their head through and ripped off what they could. And the only one who faced death that live got her whole wing ripped off and it was terribly infected. I am asumming a coons mouth isn't too clean eating road kill. Looked justlike that, i put proxide on it to kill infection then until feathers grew back i but sav on it and wrapped it everyday. I understand can't do that to a face, but still. Anyways i hope you find what's getting your chickens.

 

[Smittenroade]

Quote:
Definately it. The only logical explanation besides human intervention. Something is getting them when they poke their beaks through.


Yea, I had an incident where 2 of my baby rabbits were stolen and there seemed to be no holes or anything in the chicken wire. Also, another time had a chick stolen and I noticed like a pin needle spot of blood and a golfball sized hole in the chicken wire just big enough to pull them through. However, there was nothing to stand on or anything just like your incident. Predators are very VERY good at what they do, never underestimate them!

If I were you I would invest in some traps if not dogs. I use dogs and they catch opposums and skunks like every week and I dispose of them. I've trained my border collie to patrol the chicken coops at 3am and sleep near them.

 

[klf73]

Ok, looking at the coop pics...I would say something is climbing the chicken wire to your pen, walking across the top board to the coop. Getting on the roof and reaching down and in through the chicken wire. Grabs the face, chicken falls to bottom so it can't reach its prey but damage is done. I would bet money on that

eta- sorry you have to deal with this, and sorry for your birds

 

[Jencleg]

Oh bless your hearts!! I hope that you find out what did this & when you do please let us know so we can show up with our pitch forks & torches!

 

[char259]

What ever it is I'm sure it will be back. Be ready....

 

[the4heathernsmom]

I would bet it is a coon/ had the same thing happen in a totally enclosed pen here and my pullets would stick thier faces out and that coon latched on trying to pull em through the wire taking beak and all but couldn't get their bodies through the wire. I had to stay up one night to catch him but I did and did away with him. Once they get a nibble of the chickens they will NOT go away they return night after night even if you fix the problem trying to find another way in and they will eventually.

 

[SaraFL]

Oh I'm so sorry, your poor chicken and poor you. You're very brave to put her out of her misery.