Poultry Predator Identification

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

 

[unicornwy]

Thanks for the info, I read the article but I'm afraid I still have questions.

Our set up: We have 3 coops. The 1st holds pheasants and peacocks and is away form the others with no current access to the outside. The 2nd and 3rd coops both open into outside pens built with 6 foot high posts and chicken wire. Most of the time the chickens and ducks are also allowed to free range and leave the outer pen as well. We also have a shelter for them outside the coop but inside the outer pen called the "duckhouse" It is basically a 4X4X8 wood box with an access hatch for us on one end and a hole on the other for the birds that is about 8 inches tall by about 18 inches wide. The ducks used to roost in it but have taken to wandering everywhere. The 6 geese and 12 turkeys tend to go where they want, they have shelters but do not use them. The geese sleep in a flock on the ground and the turkeys roost either on the top of the outer pen or on top of the 6 foot high dog kennel. We have lost NO turkeys or geese that we know of.

We have 4 missing chickens, one duckling (almost full grown) that we found head and neck missing and entrails nearby away from any of the coops, one duckling missing, and one chicken head off lying in the outer pen (at least 10 feet away from the fence) and this last was laying inside the "duckhouse" We've placed the leftover duck body in a trap and it's been there untouched for 3 days. All of the remaining ducks and chickens have been confined to their coops.

Are we looking at just a band of coons? or since so many are missing are we looking at a family or multiple species of predators? Also I didn't see anything regarding methods of kill for skunks, bobcats, or foxes. We've had it suggested to us that it might be one of the previous. My vote is coons but I wanted to see what you guys thought. Thanks for the help!

 

[ThomsonCentennialFarm]

I've lost two this week, one laying hen and one 9 week old pullet. We found the head and a (one) foot and a bunch of feathers of the laying hen. These were about 30 feet from the coop. (No sign of the pullet, but we live on 155 acres so that 's a lot of ground to search!) Whatever is getting them is doing it right around twilight we think. Is this the sign of a raccoon?

Thanks for any help. I think we're going to put out a trap and see what turns up.

 

[EM Squared Farms 2]

Jays, crows, 'possums, raccoons, and occasionally skunks leave tell-tale shells. Jays and crows may carry empty shells quite a distance from where they found the eggs, while a 'possum or 'coon leaves empty shells in or near the nest. Sometimes after cleaning out a nest, a bold 'possum will curl up in the nest and take a nap.


One time blue jays took an eggshell from the compost pile and flew 20 feet away and dropped almost on my head.

 

[clucksbc]

thanks 4 posting learned lots

hummh....never thought a cat would be interested in a chicken...mine has been crow puff called not to come close...
and am now very wary or the rat issue...

 

[GG741963]

Help I have something that keeps eating my baby chickens. In my other pens where my older chickens are I have feathers everywhere like there was a pillowfight and the feather pillow exploded. I keep the chicks in a 12x12 steel dog kennel where I built them a roosting house I have horse fence wire running under the kennel approx 2" by 3" spacings and the kennel itself has the same spacing all steel. I added a conventional shingle roof to the top totally enclosed and something still gets inside and mutilates my poor chicks a complete genecide. In two months I have lost 30 chicks to this mutilator

I have never seen the culprit just the bloody remains and carcuses.

I have about 40 adult chickens that are scared out of their wits and roost on top of their coop instead of inside it.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[N2Shown]

Quote:
Sounds like a weasel or maybe even rats to me.

 

[heavenlygaits]

I thought I had protected the girls well. But apparently after some heavy rains, something found it's way under a small part of the fence and killed all my girls.
I can't seem to figure out what exactly got them. I've read articles and it just doesn't add up. So here is the description and maybe someone can figure this out.

I had 11 Pullets that were about 10 mths old and had been laying scrumptious eggs since mid July. I also had an 8 month old rooster (Cubalaya) that was the sweetest little guy ever.
Last Tues (12/13/11) I walked out to find them all dead. A few scattered and several more near the fence as if cornered. Out of the 11, only one was missing; two were a little bloody in the crop area (with heads),
the rest had twisted necks, but heads were attached.

It seemed a senseless killing. In fact most of them were just laying with their heads in an odd position, but all intact. The whole scene was rather bloodless...

I've ruled out dogs (we live in the country) No feral dogs or cats here. Also, it is wide open area with just some small underbrush in the parcel next door. Mostly all of the 5 acre parcels here mow their lawns and since this area used to be orange and grapefruit groves, all has been leveled.

We set out a trap and just this morning got a possum. Somehow, I don't believe a possum did this ( although I know they do kill chickens) raccoon? it doesn't sound a like a 'coon' either - what else could it have been?

 

[augustusthunder727]

I am hoping you guys can help me out here... We just lost one of our girls either yesterday or last night (not sure which). We put our girls in a coop at dusk and always take a headcount. When we wre missing one we searched high and low but could not find her. We did find her this morning but something had gotten to her. The flesh and feathers were stripped from her head and her gut was completely gone. Very few of her feathers were missing, just around her head and neck and the area of chest. If anyone has any clue what could have done this I would appreciate any help you can give. We live in NJ so we do have just about every chicken predator there is. Thanks in advance.

 

[Souffle]

I've never found remains. That's gruesome. The last few nights we've heard coyotes in the area. Fortunately I only have three birds and brought them in, but we found tracks in the snow and heard the coyotes howling at early evening and early morning, 9pm and 4am. Sorry to hear of your loss. Maybe a motion light would dissuade the culprit.
good luck.