Poultry Predator Identification

[hipphop]

Hello,

This is a great article. I am still a little lost on our situation. We tragically lost one of our two pekin ducks last night. We came home just a bit too late - the sun had been down about an hour, we normally put them back in the enclosed barn by sundown. We are having a tough time forgiving ourselves, because when we got home, one of our ducks was lying by the pool still alive, but her entire neck and back had been skinned, but not eaten, and then left for dead. It was a tragedy. She was so scared and we took her to the wildlife center and said goodbye as we put her to sleep.

I have a feral cat that has shown zero interest in them. And this seems the opposite of what a cat would do. The only thing missing was the skin. I would think a stray dog could have done it, but the skinning of the neck seemed too deliberate and intricate for a dog.

Owl? What skins a duck's neck and back, exposing spine and organs but doesnt kill?

Very sad and confused.

 

[hipphop]

I found another article! This girl had the EXACT same signs of predation:

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/livestock-forums/poultry/357914-aerial-predator-identification.html

her duck was left alive but skinned on the neck and shoulders, very little blood. Just like mine!

Any ideas welcomed. Very sad and want to prevent this from happening ever again.

 

[3rdGenFarmer]

recently I had put my five four week old ducklings outside in a coop with chicken wire all around it just nothing over the top. yesterday morning I let them out around 7 a and then went back up later that morning around 9 to find one of them dead with their head off laying next to their body. another one was dead behind the coop but think that one had a heart attack. So three survived. any ideas as to what might have done this ? I've had chickens for three years and never had this problem the chicken coop is almost next to the duck hut.

 

[Blue Roo]

Sounds like a hawk killing your ducks or an owl they will kill them and pull out a lot of feathers had a owl doing this to my gunies so I got ride of them haven't had a problem since the guinea roosted in a tree but my chicken roost in an coverd pen only lost two hens but when I got ride of the gunies the owl left

 

[Cluckadoodledo]

An interesting story about raccoons. When raccoons become habituated to being around campers with food out on the picnic table, they're so bold as to take the food right in front of you. They attack in mass, eight or nine of them, family members I assume. They hiss and growl, baring their teeth, causing the campers to back off. We were warned about these renegade raccoons by the park ranger. Because it's a State Park, you can't harm the wildlife. You're not supposed to feed it either! When the raccoons arrived at our campsite that first night, we stood our ground, blocking the picnic table with our bodies. It was a standoff until one of our group released the dogs. These raccoons were used to intimidating dogs and weren't concerned, at first. But these dogs were no ordinary dogs! These were Northwest Farm Terriers, a specialized working breed of Terrier, 45-60 pounds of fearless prey-driven ferocity! After running off the renegade raccoons, the dogs came over for a cuddle, rolling on their back, big dog smiles on their faces. The raccoons never returned to our camp the rest of the week we were there.

 

[Starfire669]

Great article. I haven't been raided yet, thank goodness, but this will help me pinpoint who or what might be doing the deed if I do suffer losses. This will also help me fortifymy chicken coop, and duck and goose coop to try and prevent raids from happening. As it is now, I am working with 2 of my 6 dogs to try and train them to protect my poultry, and I have a loaded shotgun and 9mm pistol with kill on sight plan of action if I see a predator on my property.

 

[AnnieCluckCluck]

I keep reading posts and website, but no one seems to describe what I found this morning. A 4" by 2" hole dug under the side of my chicken tractor and on the INSIDE of the tractor one chicken foot, a broken bone, feathers and the crop. NOTHING outside. So this seems to indicate that Mr. Predator dug his was in and grabbed and ate my pretty Buff Orpington 6-week-old. I can't find a description that says only one bird is killed, others are untouched, and crop and foot are left. No head anywhere. No body, no guts. Please help me ID this marauder. I'm in upstate NY.

 

[PurplePoppiPpl]

A couple weeks ago something got into the hen house and grabbed one of my silkie roosters. I had thought that it had gotten in during the evening when the door was open. so i just kept them cooped up for the last couple weeks, they have a huge run that is actually an old pheasant coop so it has trees and brush inside. but a few days ago i came home to find all but 2 of my babies gone. i Had ten adult chickens both standard and bantam and three chicks. What ever got them would have had to scale a fence to get in.It took most of the bodies i just found a few pieces of the big ones. We live in northwest Wisconsin i have had a few problems with predators before but nothing that could wipe out almost an entire flock. Now i only have the two hens left, would it be a good idea to get a few more or will they be okay? and does anyone have any idea what could have done this?

 

[Cuccismith]

Oh Gosh so sorry! Get a roof on ASAP then get more - the predators will be back. Sorry for your horrific loss :-(

 

[happyfrenchman]

Today I found feathers inside the run. And a headless chicken under the coop. Something must have grabbed it through the dog wire, took it's head, and the headless bird then lurched under the coop. (about 12 foot distance). No blood. No head. It is a mystery. I am out there now putting hardware cloth around the bottom of my coop run. Has any one ever heard of such a thing?