Predator attack

[Dokadawaja]

Snake. We lost one the same way to a large rat snake. Tried to swallow it, but got stuck at the shoulders, regurgitated the bird and left. Chicken's head and neck were wet and slimy looking when my son found her the next day.

So sorry your son had to find that. Did the snake come back to try again or did it decide to look for smaller prey after that?

 

[The head hen]

I lost 3 chickens the evening of July 3rd. We have 2 great pyrenese/border collie mix 2 year old dogs who have been trained and are with our chickens all day every day since they were 6 months old. The dogs are in and out of the house at their will via a dog door.

This last chicken attack left the 3 chickens dead without any obvious marks, cuts, puncture wounds, etc. Not even a lot of feathers scattered.
My husband is convinced the dogs killed the chickens, but I am not!

We live on a wooded ravine near a creek. The girls were free ranging in a fenced back yard. There are 6 hens left. Anyone ever seen a dog kill a chicken without any marks?

 

[Dokadawaja]

I lost 3 chickens the evening of July 3rd. We have 2 great pyrenese/border collie mix 2 year old dogs who have been trained and are with our chickens all day every day since they were 6 months old. The dogs are in and out of the house at their will via a dog door.

This last chicken attack left the 3 chickens dead without any obvious marks, cuts, puncture wounds, etc. Not even a lot of feathers scattered.
My husband is convinced the dogs killed the chickens, but I am not!

We live on a wooded ravine near a creek. The girls were free ranging in a fenced back yard. There are 6 hens left. Anyone ever seen a dog kill a chicken without any marks?

Sadly, yes. Both young chickens and kittens. A lovely German Shorthair Pointer who meant them no harm. He would pick them up gently by the head and bring them to us. Unfortunately, he then simply sat quietly waiting for us to notice. If we noticed in time, they were unharmed but if we were busy and didn't notice, the victims suffocated. Hopefully the dog is not at fault in your case.

 

[The head hen]

Sadly, yes. Both young chickens and kittens. A lovely German Shorthair Pointer who meant them no harm. He would pick them up gently by the head and bring them to us. Unfortunately, he then simply sat quietly waiting for us to notice. If we noticed in time, they were unharmed but if we were busy and didn't notice, the victims suffocated. Hopefully the dog is not at fault in your case.

I sure hope the dogs are.not the culprit. Like I said, for the last 2 years, they have been hanging out together and the dogs appear to guard them. Time for a trailcam...

 

[McChooky]

I sure hope the dogs are.not the culprit. Like I said, for the last 2 years, they have been hanging out together and the dogs appear to guard them. Time for a trailcam...

My neighbors dogs never killed his chickens in front of him but did when he was gone. When his last hen flew on top of my brothers house next door I climbed on the roof and rescued her.I still have her

 

[The head hen]

The crazy thing is that there are no marks on the chickens...at least nothing that can be found which is odd given the size of dog teeth.

 

[The head hen]

All of the other losses have been obvious - racoon, mink, fox. In fact, the dogs killed the damn racoon who was a problem for months. But this loss is puzzling for sure

 

[McChooky]

Young chickens especially are more vulnerable.They can die from suffocation or a heart attack if ones carrying it around in their mouth or wooling them(playing around).Neither one leaves a mark

 

[TOR]

I lost 3 chickens the evening of July 3rd. We have 2 great pyrenese/border collie mix 2 year old dogs who have been trained and are with our chickens all day every day since they were 6 months old. The dogs are in and out of the house at their will via a dog door.

This last chicken attack left the 3 chickens dead without any obvious marks, cuts, puncture wounds, etc. Not even a lot of feathers scattered.
My husband is convinced the dogs killed the chickens, but I am not!

We live on a wooded ravine near a creek. The girls were free ranging in a fenced back yard. There are 6 hens left. Anyone ever seen a dog kill a chicken without any marks?

yes 40 plus years ago I had 2 dogs and they started killing the chickens. They get them in their mouth imagine squeeze them enough suffocate? I know they shake them break neck i guess.
Sooo tried different things, tying dogs up, etc etc...I was working many hours at the time. I used what the ole farmer told me to stop it. Tied a chicken around each dogs neck and it was summer. After 4 or 5 days pretty nasty, took them off washed dogs up good, they never bothered a chicken again.

Yes the chickens become play toys for the dogs, very little marks if any and they dont eat them, just killem.