Preditor help...

[Jeepgirl2c]

Two days ago, I woke up to my chickens squawking…upon checking on them I found one dead, and 4 missing. I was devastated. Cleaning up the coop, I found a second one under our camper shell we use as a shelter for the hens in the play yard. Her head was completely removed and laying about 2 feet away. Two egg laying hens and three 2-month-old babies were gone. That afternoon the hubby and I found what we thought was the week point and fixed it. My guess was a fox was the culprit. There are feathers everywhere but that is about it. There is no sign of the missing chickens. No bodies found anywhere else on the property.

The next morning the same thing happened but this time whatever got in destroyed my coop. Three full grown hens were laying dead without heads, and 7 babies were poof...gone. My heart was broken. With only 12 hens left we fixed the new hole but I wasn’t taking any chances and locked them tight in the inner coop just to make sure. I had lost ½ my flock and I wanted to keep my girls’ safe.

My predator proof coop isn’t so much and it isn’t a fox getting in (there were no holes big enough for a fox). This morning three more were found in the inner coop. None were taken for food. The three were just left there dead (head for sure on one, the hubby didn't notice on the other two). We can’t find any conceivable way a fox could have gotten in. So, I have no idea what is taking out my flock but I want it to stop before I have NO CHICKENS! I am down to 9 baby chickens so any help on identifying and getting rid of the culprit would be greatly appreciated.

 

[rjohns39]

Two days ago, I woke up to my chickens squawking…upon checking on them I found one dead, and 4 missing. I was devastated. Cleaning up the coop, I found a second one under our camper shell we use as a shelter for the hens in the play yard. Her head was completely removed and laying about 2 feet away. Two egg laying hens and three 2-month-old babies were gone. That afternoon the hubby and I found what we thought was the week point and fixed it. My guess was a fox was the culprit. There are feathers everywhere but that is about it. There is no sign of the missing chickens. No bodies found anywhere else on the property.

The next morning the same thing happened but this time whatever got in destroyed my coop. Three full grown hens were laying dead without heads, and 7 babies were poof...gone. My heart was broken. With only 12 hens left we fixed the new hole but I wasn’t taking any chances and locked them tight in the inner coop just to make sure. I had lost ½ my flock and I wanted to keep my girls’ safe.

My predator proof coop isn’t so much and it isn’t a fox getting in (there were no holes big enough for a fox). This morning three more were found in the inner coop. None were taken for food. The three were just left there dead (head for sure on one, the hubby didn't notice on the other two). We can’t find any conceivable way a fox could have gotten in. So, I have no idea what is taking out my flock but I want it to stop before I have NO CHICKENS! I am down to 9 baby chickens so any help on identifying and getting rid of the culprit would be greatly appreciated.

Can we see a pic of coop and run? You may be dealing with multiple predators... Typically the head taken, body left is the sign of an Arial predator. The latest damage sounds like coons, skunks, or other fur bearing creatures that kill for fun. If you have a pic of the damage that would help too.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Whatever it is does not matter. You need to fortfy your setup against everything. Hardware cloth, no openings over 1/2 inch anywhere.

Good luck

Gary

 

[Jeepgirl2c]

Good point. I was just more curious than anything. Thanks for ur time. We reinforced the inner coop and will keep them there until we can rebuild the play yard and start over in the spring.

 

[rjohns39]

Good point. I was just more curious than anything. Thanks for ur time. We reinforced the inner coop and will keep them there until we can rebuild the play yard and start over in the spring.

Also look at trees... I had a tree outside my pasture that had a limb over the fence. Coons wold climb the tree and jump into the pasture. Removing the limb, removed the coons.

 

[jvls1942]

do you live close to a river or stream ?
it sounds like someone from the weasel family, more like a mink to me.
don't underestimate a rat, either.
if there is no hole a fox can get through, I doubt any large bird would crawl in.
Wild animals don't kill for fun. to them it is serious business.
a weasel is a hoarder. he will kill more than one bird with the intention of coming back to retrieve all the dead ones at a later time. often you will find a chicken dead with it's head poking through the fence.
that is because the weasel dragged it as far as he could before it got too stuck to move.

 

[NancyNurseCxMama]

Weasels and mink also respond to movement with a rush of adrenalin that has them killing everything they see. This is their nature---they don't kill for "fun," per se, but because they can't help themselves once they start.
You'll read old wives' tales about how they kill and keep killing for the fun of it and to "drink the blood" but studies have proven otherwise.
Sounds like a weasel/mink to me.
So sorry for your losses---heartbreaking.

 

[jvls1942]

true,
we had a weasel problem maaany years ago.
we had fryer sized chickens.
it killed 15 of them in one night,
and the next night it killed 15 more.
there wasn't a mark on them except a tiny drop of blood on the back of their heads.
he must have gotten on their back and rode them until he could make the bite.
we caught and killed that weasel and the killing stopped.

 

[Sara Ranch]

I check my coop - every nesting box, every corner, the up high, the down low - to make sure nothing is in there that shouldn't be before I lock up the coop. I also check the area around the coop and the run to make sure nothing is in there to be concerned about. I also head count every single night. And I head count in the morning, with the exception of one flock.

Yes, it's a lot of extra steps, but I feel better doing it.

For the animals that completely free range, I do check the path that the animals will likely to take to leave or to enter their coop during the day. I also close up the coop so they - so nothing - has access to it. I open it up at bedtime for the animals to go to bed, but again, I check it.

I may miss something - predators are good at being quiet, hiding, and stealthily - but at least I have made an effort.

coop = house = barn -- I have multiple set ups for housing my flocks. I use the words interchangeably.

 

[Jeepgirl2c]

Also look at trees... I had a tree outside my pasture that had a limb over the fence. Coons wold climb the tree and jump into the pasture. Removing the limb, removed the coons.

There is a pine tree....it is going down! I think we are going to rethink the whole set up and start from scratch.