I hadn't lost a bird in over 2 years
I knew SOMETHING had been coming in my coop and eating eggs and feed. I figured mice- I've caught quite a few in the traps I had been setting. Made sure I got all eggs and feed out of the coop at night. All has been well the past few weeks, or so I thought. I only had one little gosling, we found the poor thing on the side of the road clinging to life. I nursed my baby back to health in the house for a few days, then put him outside (where he was immediately adopted by my broody hen Cream Puff. She and her 8 chicks adored him. I locked everyone in the coop last night. Mama and the chicken babies decided to sleep in the nest box, Puddles opted for the cage they had been sleeping in for the past 2 weeks (I tried to put him in the box with everyone else, he wasn't having that). I knew I should've shut the cage door, I knew it, but I thought I had solved my pest issue and was more worried about the little guy getting cold. So I added some extra shavings for him and closed the coop door. When I came out this morning I noticed that the bottom of our drop feeder had been pulled out exposing the hole in the door (the part that holds the feed is outside the door, the opening where they get the feed goes through the door). Thought it was strange, but whatever. I opened the door and everyone was just as happy to see me as they usually are, except my little Puddles. When I looked in the coop, what I saw was absolutely devastating. There was blood everywhere. All that was left of poor Puddles were his legs and insides
everything else was gone. He was still inside his cage. So whatever this was had to have pulled the drop feeder apart and squeezed through a hole that is maybe two inches in diameter. Could a weasle have accomplished this? I mean, i know it could certainly fit through the hole, but could it have pulled the pvc feeder apart to expose the hole? My kids weren't even home last night, and I know the feeder was intact when I closed them in. There was no evidence that it tried to dig its way in, and this not so little, little goose was the only bird killed. Everyone else seemed oblivious that anything had happened. This is why I don't usually pick favorites, but this little one had earned a special place in my heart. I guess I'll be spending my Sunday going over my coop with a fine toothed comb. After almost killing myself on my porch steps Friday, this was just the cherry on top of a pretty crummy weekend. Sorry for the novel, but I knew you all would understand what I was going through.