Predator help.

[MROO]

@Dottypotty. There is one important question that needs answering. It may not seem big, but it is. Did you line up the bodies or did your predator leave them that way. If that's how you found them, you're probably dealing with a human predator. If you did it yourself, possibly so you could get a good picture , then your predator likely has four legs, not two ... and I stand by the dog theory.

 

[Jamited]

Your story has been in my mind since I read it and saw the pictures. I'm so very sorry for your trauma, but feel this was definitely done by humans. Surely any animal predator would kill to eat and they certainly wouldn't line them up after dispatching them! I would feel very unsettled if it were me and would report it to the police. It's not "just four dead chickens" . It's trespassing on your land, causing deliberate pain and cruelty to living creatures and destruction to your property. I would feel very vulnerable that whomsoever did it would return to do more damage so the police really do need to be involved. Tell your neighbours what happened (I'm sure you've done that already) and maybe put it in the local paper. What's occurred here is by no means trivial, but a sinister act of cruelty and wanton violence and whoever did it needs to know they can't get away with it. Next time they may attack a child or elderly person. I apologise if I seem to be OTT, but this sort of thing really bothers me and shouldn't be ignored. I do hope you keep us informed of any outcome, but in the meantime, I'm sending you my best wishes and kind regards.

Meant to add that your surviving chicken is in shock and should be kept as hot as possible. Feed her with soft food with a syringe if she won't eat on her own. Lots of talking and cuddles and she should be ok. Perhaps you could get another bird to keep her company. Their own kind seems to be the best medicine sometimes. Good luck.

 

[Rockdale Chick]

Do you have bear in your area?

 

[pargue]

Sorry you're having to deal with this situation. Predators don't line up their prey and leave them for later, they kill and eat or take and eat! I'd go with surveillance cameras and report this to police to have on record. Hope this is just a one off, but stay vigilant just in case.

 

[woodmort]

While I'll not hazard a guess as to who did it I will make an observation. Last summer a fisher got into my large chicken yard and just went nuts chasing birds around--I lost 6 and all were piled up against the fence with no visible marks. I assume the fisher just caused them to panic and smash into the fence. breaking their necks--it isn't that hard to do with a bird. Whatever broke into your yard may well have done that. Additionally I had one bird that was hunkered down and traumatized as well that never did recover.

 

[woodmort]

Do you have bear in your area?

My guess as well. While they won't especially target chickens they will chase them.

 

[JoCoKS]

If you add electric fencing, use a big tail light bulb connection. wire your electric wire to one side of big tail and the other side is inserted into hot side of plug it in a 15w bulb prior to plugging into electric. no electric is used until something makes contact with wire and competes the circuit. If no weather proof plug is available get and install a fence charger. The electric system will require you to keep grass and weeds away from the wire. If you do not want to use electric you can use a garlic spray Take a gallon jug and fill with water, cut up 3 to 4 cloves of garlic and put into water. let set for 3 days strain water int sprayer and spray around your pen and coop. All of these work great Always spray garlic again after a rain.

Thank you,
I think I lost my girls to a person who wanted my chickens, If I shock a person I would probably get sued.

 

[Howard E]

While I'll not hazard a guess as to who did it I will make an observation. Last summer a fisher got into my large chicken yard and just went nuts chasing birds around--I lost 6 and all were piled up against the fence with no visible marks. I assume the fisher just caused them to panic and smash into the fence. breaking their necks--it isn't that hard to do with a bird. Whatever broke into your yard may well have done that. Additionally I had one bird that was hunkered down and traumatized as well that never did recover.

As per one of my poultry husbandry books, one of the telltale kill patterns of a mink is multiple kills, and piling the dead bodies up in a row. A fisher cat, being close relative, might do the same thing. If you are still looking for a "whodunit", I'd start with one of those.

It may also be a slight misnomer to say that weasels, minks or the cousins kill for fun. They are one of nature's most potent form of rodent control and such.....and when they find a concentration of prey (including chickens), go into a killing frenzy in which they attack movement.....and are hard wired to continue killing until they run out of prey. They are also highly efficient and kill their prey by severing the spine at the back/base of the skull. The marks under their wings are made by their hind toes, which they dig in to stay with a wildly flaying prey until they can kill it. If the kill goes easy, there may not be many marks. If the prey really struggles, it may result in heads being ripped off.

State game agencies tend to view weasels and the cousins in a favorable light due to their affect on rodent populations. They acknowledge the risk to chickens but tend to downplay it......small consolation to somebody who has been wiped out.

So among other things, for those of who keep chickens in areas with weasels, minks or the cousins, we need to be sensitive to things that might result in a concentration of rats or mice in or around our chickens. A large concentration of rodents is what might attract the notice of a weasel......who arrives in search of the rodents, but who will transition to killing our birds with equal enthusiasm.

 

[Judy Todd]

Many predators can easily get through chicken wire, it's only good for keeping larger chickens inside. The wood base looks ripped up, as from a canine or larger critter. It seems like a human would have entered higher up?
Rebuild, and add really good electric fencing!
Any tracks out there? Scat?
Mary

I cannot think of any predator who would line them up in such a neat row, Heads all in the same direction, very suspicious!! Looks like a human to me.

 

[Judy Todd]

Your story has been in my mind since I read it and saw the pictures. I'm so very sorry for your trauma, but feel this was definitely done by humans. Surely any animal predator would kill to eat and they certainly wouldn't line them up after dispatching them! I would feel very unsettled if it were me and would report it to the police. It's not "just four dead chickens" . It's trespassing on your land, causing deliberate pain and cruelty to living creatures and destruction to your property. I would feel very vulnerable that whomsoever did it would return to do more damage so the police really do need to be involved. Tell your neighbours what happened (I'm sure you've done that already) and maybe put it in the local paper. What's occurred here is by no means trivial, but a sinister act of cruelty and wanton violence and whoever did it needs to know they can't get away with it. Next time they may attack a child or elderly person. I apologise if I seem to be OTT, but this sort of thing really bothers me and shouldn't be ignored. I do hope you keep us informed of any outcome, but in the meantime, I'm sending you my best wishes and kind regards.

I agree with Jamited. I think it was wanton violence, planned and should be reported for sure. I would be very uncomfortable until I knew the answer. I am so sorry for what you and your family ae going through.