Please Help!..Who killed Ski?*GRAPHIC PICS*UPDATE ..IT WAS A HAWK!

[redhen]

Well..its finally happend..i lost one...It was my favourite Polish hen Ski...

....What could have done this?..her head and entrails are missing!...what kills this way?... i want to find out..and i'm gonna kill it!...but i need to know what i am going after first.......We all heard the coy dogs real close again tonight..so,we went running outside..the chickens were already roosting in their coop....but..when we did a head count..we were 1 short..so...the search began... we found her at our fence line in the woods...i dont really think it was the coys..because there is no hole in the fence..(although the fence is only 4 ft high)...but, i think it was something that climbed the fence...maybe?..because she was left right by the fence....unless she ran there to get away from whatever was killing her...ahh!..i feel SO bad!!...we have all kinds of beasts here...fisher cats, coy dogs, hawks,eagles, foxes, 'coons,skunks...thanks for any help!, Wendy (the BAD chicken mom!)

 

[SterlingAcres]

Do you have any weasels or mink in your area?

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Looks like a coon or weasle.

 

[what was i thinking]

i don't know what did it, but i am sorry.

 

[redhen]

Hi..thanks guys!..yes..we do have 'coons.i dont know about weasels though...what about a fisher cat?..arent they a weasel type animal?(i have had one in my yard before..so, they are around)....i need to know how to kill this thing!...i have a have-a-heart trap...can i use that with some poision in it?...but,,i dont want to kill any other animals in the process...ahh!..

..i'm really stressed right now..i need to know the best way to kill it..without harming any thing else...thanks, Wendy

 

[gypsy2621]

Typical of a weasel to be honest.
stop beating your self up our not a bad chicken mom.
You do everything you can bt always something gets taken , that doesnt make you negligent. it makes you human.
huggs.

EDA:
you cant kill them with poison unfortnately
.22 cal rifle or handgun, .06 shot gun etc.
brook with a deep enough area to put it in is safest for you to do. it isnt the best way but its acceptable.

 

[SterlingAcres]

Well, it definitely looks like a weasel/mink to me. I'm not sure if you could use that carcass to lure it back in or what. I know that the weasel/mink will keep coming back like a fox. So make sure you get him!

 

[NurseNettie]

You could use hav-a-heart traps to catch it ( this is safe in case you have a cat or squirrel or something that you don't want to kill), and then dispose of whatever you catch thereafter--your choice of method, but poisoning isn't a good idea. Anything that may eat the remains could also die.

DH sat outside for several nights after our ducks and a chicken were killed and the culprit was a racoon. He shot at it with a bow and arrow- recovered the arrows, but thinks he hit the coon- and it hasn't been back.

We do have fox and bear out back -- dh saw the tracks yesterday, and bear sign in the garden. Let's hope they stay away!

 

[redhen]

Quote:
Hi..thanks!..i know..stuff happens..i just feel guilty for letting them free range right now...but..when i see them all pressed aganist the pen door..squaking like crazy to be let out...i feel even worse!...its a tough decision to make...you let them out to be happy...yet...they can also be killed if you let them out...*sigh*..no easy answer i guess...i just wanna get the critter that did this..so i can feel a bit safer about letting them out again...thanks again!, Wendy

 

[redhen]

Quote:
Hi..thanks for the help!...what can i put in the trap?...chicken?...thanks, Wendy