Poultry Predator Identification

[karenerwin]

I would agree with those that say racoon... if there is any opening they can squeeze through they will. Of course if it was a racoon, you are probably lucky you only lost two birds... and the rooster would not be able to fight off a racoon... even a small one.

Ok, thanks. I think we have it secured now. My hubby built the second door so now it is a closeable coop inside a covered run. Hopefully, that takes care of the problem.

 

[Red Banks]

I would agree with those that say racoon... if there is any opening they can squeeze through they will. Of course if it was a racoon, you are probably lucky you only lost two birds... and the rooster would not be able to fight off a racoon... even a small one.

I lost three young birds this morning. I saw the possum leaving with a piece of one of them. He didn't get in the coop. He pulled their heads off thru the 2X4 wire. I am going to spend the day making sure this doesn't happen again tonight.

 

[Red Banks]

GRAPHIC PICTURES!!! I DON'T KNOW HOW TO HIDE THEM LIKE SOME PEOPLE DO



I lost 1 Black Penedesenca rooster & 1 white leghorn hen last night to an attack. There was no forced entry so whatever it was had to be able to fit through the fence ( some openings about half way up are about 2 inch square). Both birds are missing their heads, necks & internal organs. # other hens were left unharmed although they are pretty spooked! Any ideas as to possible culprits?

Here are the pictures.

I am so sorry.... I know how awful this is. I woke up this morning to three headless 3 month old Marans. Something in this post really put a scare in me and I wanted to ask for clarification. You wrote that the fencing about halfway up is 2X2, it looks larger. I have 2X4 welded wire and have spent the afternoon putting 1/4 hardware cloth 24 inches up from the bottom but if you have raccoons/opossums/predators going thru 2X2 holes I am still in trouble.

 

[karenerwin]

I am so sorry.... I know how awful this is. I woke up this morning to three headless 3 month old Marans. Something in this post really put a scare in me and I wanted to ask for clarification. You wrote that the fencing about halfway up is 2X2, it looks larger. I have 2X4 welded wire and have spent the afternoon putting 1/4 hardware cloth 24 inches up from the bottom but if you have raccoons/opossums/predators going thru 2X2 holes I am still in trouble.

Hi RedBanks, apparently I have very bad estimation skills! I just went out & measured the biggest openings. They are 4 inches by 4.5 inches. I'm still amazed at the size of the raccoons that fit through! I do know that coons & possums are both excellent climbers, but I think you are safe from the larger predators with the 2 x 4 weld wire. Sorry, I scared you with my lousy estimation skills!

 

[guest21]

Help! I just lost 3 out of 5 chicks! what could have gotten them? There were two left that seemed fine. No feathers or anything lying around. Would a hawk take 3 birds ar once? They are about 3 months old so they weren't tiny. I have an aprox 6 foot tall fence so they didnt just escape.

 

[dekel18042]

Help! I just lost 3 out of 5 chicks!

what could have gotten them? There were two left that seemed fine. No feathers or anything lying around. Would a hawk take 3 birds ar once? They are .

Help! I just lost 3 out of 5 chicks!

what could have gotten them? There were two left that seemed fine. No feathers or anything lying around. Would a hawk take 3 birds ar once? They are about 3 months old so they weren't tiny. I have an aprox 6 foot tall fence so they didnt just escape.

What size were the chicks? With a hawk hit, you usually see a pile of feathers. If you see nothing, they would have had to have been small enough for the hawk to carry away. Otherwise you would have found part of the carcass on the ground. If they are totally missing I would suspect a fox. They can go over a six foot fence fairly easily.

 

[guest21]

They were at least 10inches tall I would say and fully feathered. I didn't find a trace of blood or feathers. What more can I do to protect against a fox? Obviously I need to cover the coop but netting wouldn't keep a fox out

 

[Mommaw]

Inside the coop with chickens inside killed and ate my silkie(the smallest. Saw orange hair around door to yard and I have seen a Ferrell orange cat hanging around. Poop at door to yard as well. What would go inside the yard to the coop go inside the small coop stay inside and kill and eat her. Only wings and feet and a few feathers left. I have had opossums a hawk and owl and fox but to do this inside the coop which is in a locked yard? Cat or opossum or raccoon?

 

[slordaz]

Inside the coop with chickens inside killed and ate my silkie(the smallest. Saw orange hair around door to yard and I have seen a Ferrell orange cat hanging around. Poop at door to yard as well. What would go inside the yard to the coop go inside the small coop stay inside and kill and eat her. Only wings and feet and a few feathers left. I have had opossums a hawk and owl and fox but to do this inside the coop which is in a locked yard? Cat or opossum or raccoon?

not sure we just lost one similarly, head was taken off and was ripped completely open and partially eaten inside and left in the hen house feathers were still on her, little to no blood, the other 16 hens are fine, did find 3 eggs smashed in the nest, so thinking racoon but not sure. found no sign outside to give me any more clues so plan is sit outside with guns waiting for it to come back. First time we've had a problem since we got them a year ago. Fe

We lost a white leghorn but right next to them we have month old baby ducks, but ducks aren't laying eggs so think that is probably what attracted them, we have a few that lay really late sometimes, gather eggs 3 times a day. trying to make sure none are out over night

 

[Limeaide]

I just lost 4 out of my 5 hens, and I'm trying to figure it out. This morning I went out and had 3 of them dead with bites on the back of their necks and one torn through the middle, no missing parts and there were 5 untouched eggs sitting in there. I went back out this evening and one of them was just gone. There was a clear trail of feathers leading out to a 4 inch gap that I missed. I keep them in a horse stall that we turned into a coop. It sounded like a weasel at first but now I'm not sure. I had two traps set up outside with smell tuna and neither of them are touched, the eggs weren't touched but my chickens were destroyed.