Predator dug up chicken's dead body...devastated :(

[77horses]

A couple weeks ago a predator killed two of our beloved roosters. Based on the evidence, it was likely a fox. Today I happened to be wandering out in the yard, just looking things over, and further out on the parameter where their graves are, I saw something laying in the grass, along with feathers nearby one of the graves. To my horror, it was one of the bodies of the roosters. We only buried one because that was all we could find when they were killed. The other had been dragged off. I'm sick to my stomach and devastated. We had had some closure burying them and now this...is it likely a fox did this? We mowed the lawn a few days ago so this JUST happened. :'( I'm outraged and just devastated right now.

 

[FridayYet]

I'm sorry, that must have been a shock. I had 4 young Marans killed by my dog and buried in the yard. I thought I had covered all of their graves with flagstone, but must have missed one and my dog dug one up and I found it in the yard.

It was really sad, but now there is more, and bigger flagstone covering the area.

Live and learn, I guess.

 

[Folly's place]

Burials need to be at least three feet deep most places, and deeper depending on the local wildlife. So sorry! Mary

 

[77horses]

Yeah, we only buried him down maybe a foot or two...honestly didn't think something like this would happen so that was my mistake. Just such a shock stumbling upon that...I loved that rooster. It was bad enough that he and his brother were killed in such a terrible and sudden way, then to find his decomposed body picked over in the yard and a ruined grave...so so terrible. Poor boy. :'( goes to show Mother Nature can be such an unimaginably cruel thing.

 

[alibabba]

Yeah, we only buried him down maybe a foot or two...honestly didn't think something like this would happen so that was my mistake. Just such a shock stumbling upon that...I loved that rooster. It was bad enough that he and his brother were killed in such a terrible and sudden way, then to find his decomposed body picked over in the yard and a ruined grave...so so terrible. Poor boy. :'( goes to show Mother Nature can be such an unimaginably cruel thing.

I know us sensitive people have trouble with this. The body is all there was. The life is gone. Creatures are killed and eaten every day...nature is what it is.

All will be well. You will forget it, or not but the image will be softer.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. I know someone who "gives" losses to the scavengers as a gift. I buried a couple and am surprised that they weren't dug up they are only down 8 inches.

Have you been able to solve the predator problem?

 

[77horses]

I know us sensitive people have trouble with this.  The body is all there was.  The life is gone. Creatures are killed and eaten every day...nature is what it is.  

All will be well.  You will forget it, or not but the image will be softer.  

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.  I know someone who "gives" losses to the scavengers as a gift.  I buried a couple and am surprised that they weren't dug up they are only down 8 inches.

Have you been able to solve the predator problem?

I agree, being a sensitive person makes things much harder to handle emotionally. It hits you pretty hard especially when you cared a lot about them. I have buried chickens only a foot or two down in the ground before with no problems, it just seems recently since all this has happened that it would happen. It's like there's a new predator in the neighborhood, otherwise it wouldn't have happened. I do believe it's a fox. We've had something getting into our trash more than the occasional skunk visiting, we've found weird gray fur from a likely scuffle between it and my cat (and based on the large amount of fur from it vs my cat's untouched condition, I'd say it lost), and a neighbor said they spotted a gray fox in their yard last week (they live 5 minutes walking distance down the road!)...it leads me to believe this is a new fox that has moved into the neighborhood. We haven't figured out a way to deal with it yet other than tightening security and safety with our one remaining hen.

 

[alibabba]

I agree, being a sensitive person makes things much harder to handle emotionally. It hits you pretty hard especially when you cared a lot about them. I have buried chickens only a foot or two down in the ground before with no problems, it just seems recently since all this has happened that it would happen. It's like there's a new predator in the neighborhood, otherwise it wouldn't have happened. I do believe it's a fox. We've had something getting into our trash more than the occasional skunk visiting, we've found weird gray fur from a likely scuffle between it and my cat (and based on the large amount of fur from it vs my cat's untouched condition, I'd say it lost), and a neighbor said they spotted a gray fox in their yard last week (they live 5 minutes walking distance down the road!)...it leads me to believe this is a new fox that has moved into the neighborhood. We haven't figured out a way to deal with it yet other than tightening security and safety with our one remaining hen.

Oh, just one lone henny. That's extra sad....If you were in PA, I have some lovely rare breed pullets about 8 weeks I would just give you just to keep her company.

 

[JanetS]

Sorry for you loss. Do you have a game camera? This will help you identify your predator.
Here's ours. Bobcat.

 

[77horses]

Oh, just one lone henny.  That's extra sad....If you were in PA, I have some lovely rare breed pullets about 8 weeks I would just give you just to keep her company.  

That's very sweet of you to offer, thank you! Unfortunately PA is about a 7 hour drive from here. :/ but yeah, I've been looking everywhere for a couple hens to build the flock back up. I feel so bad she's all alone now, I try to keep her company but I can hear her making this dreadful drawn-out squawking call, like she's calling out to someone. It's so sad. no one seems to have any older hens they'd want to give away or sell around here right now (I'd gladly take older hens that aren't laying anymore since I don't eat the eggs anyways!)...the search continues as we prepare to build a larger and sturdier run area for her and our future new flock members.

 

[77horses]

Sorry for you loss. Do you have a game camera? This will help you identify your predator. Here's ours. Bobcat.

Oh wow, that's crazy! I've been looking around to find a night cam but it's not really in the budget right now with college classes and such; and I figured whether it's a fox or raccoon or whatever, making sure the coop is extra safe from any predator is more important than me knowing what it is for sure! It would be interesting and helpful just to know though...I will definitely invest in one when I get the chance.