R.I.P Agnes. What killed her?

[talkinboutchickens]

Oh my goodness, this is so strange and sad to read because yesterday my chicken Agnes was found yesterday too, she never went off on her own usually but we found a pile of feathers, then blood, more feathers, and eventually found her body further in the garden amongst the reeds. I'm not 100% sure what got her, but I reckon it was a goanna. Her head and one leg and innards were all gone. I think a dog would have taken her whole body, and we don't get hawks around here. Sorry you lost your Agnes too, it's so sad to lose a chicken this way

That is so so awful!! I am so sorry about your Agnes as well! What's a goanna? Her death was so unexpected and I wish that I would have gotten a chance to say goodbye to her At least if they get sick you have chances to say bye and you know that the time might come soon I hope our babies didn't suffer

 

[Luv Ducks]

Oh my goodness, this is so strange and sad to read because yesterday my chicken Agnes was found yesterday too, she never went off on her own usually but we found a pile of feathers, then blood, more feathers, and eventually found her body further in the garden amongst the reeds. I'm not 100% sure what got her, but I reckon it was a goanna. Her head and one leg and innards were all gone. I think a dog would have taken her whole body, and we don't get hawks around here. Sorry you lost your Agnes too, it's so sad to lose a chicken this way

Sure sounds like the work of a Raccoon. That is what got two of my ducks and one was almost completely eaten and the other one had all of her insides missing. So sorry for you folks loses. Those predators can be real monsters to our flocks. I have since spent a lot of money getting new pens and a new setup so hopefully mine will be safer now.

 

[Luv Ducks]

Sure sounds like the work of a Raccoon. That is what got two of my ducks and one was almost completely eaten and the other one had all of her insides missing. So sorry for you folks loses. Those predators can be real monsters to our flocks. I have since spent a lot of money getting new pens and a new setup so hopefully mine will be safer now.

If it happened in broad daylight though it was something else probably because here Coons only come out at night.

 

[Blue Andalusian]

I just got a Great Pyrenees. IF you EVER get another dog, Or just a Livestock Dog. I suggest getting a Great Pyrenees, they require grooming. Every single day, you could maybe Push it to every 2 days. But anyway, With Proper training. They can be WONDERFUL guardian dogs, They love the animals they protect. They can live outside, with they're fluffy coat. You could put them in a Shed, or a Chicken Coop. And they would Be just fine

unfortunately a guardian dog is not an option for I already have 2 dogs

 

[Blue Andalusian]

I just got a Great Pyrenees. IF you EVER get another dog, Or just a Livestock Dog. I suggest getting a Great Pyrenees, they require grooming. Every single day, you could maybe Push it to every 2 days. But anyway, With Proper training. They can be WONDERFUL guardian dogs, They love the animals they protect. They can live outside, with they're fluffy coat. You could put them in a Shed, or a Chicken Coop. And they would Be just fine

EDIT: They say Electric Fences are a MUST NEED for Great Pyrenees. As they will Wander if they don't have a Job to do. And I think they will do some (sometimes) if they don't have a Electric Fence

 

[talkinboutchickens]

EDIT: They say Electric Fences are a MUST NEED for Great Pyrenees. As they will Wander if they don't have a Job to do. And I think they will do some (sometimes) if they don't have a Electric Fence

For sure!! My neighbor has 2 great Pyrenees and they always wander around and get lost!! doesn't help that the dogs are never chained up though

 

[2 Acres]

I'm very sorry for your loss. Agnes was lovely and had such a soft look in her eye.

A very regal look...

 

[talkinboutchickens]

If it happened in broad daylight though it was something else probably because here Coons only come out at night.

Maybe it had rabies I bet it was a hawk tho because we hear them and see them every day

 

[lintlicker]

Maybe it had rabies I bet it was a hawk tho because we hear them and see them every day

typically in my experience a hawk will eviscerate the body and leave the corpse. The absence of a corpse to me signals fox but would usually see a stream of feathers unless the fox was able to get a hold of it pretty quickly. Fox usually, again in my experience, carry off the carcass to eat it somewhere else or return to its den for pups.

has this predator been back since?

 

[talkinboutchickens]

typically in my experience a hawk will eviscerate the body and leave the corpse. The absence of a corpse to me signals fox but would usually see a stream of feathers unless the fox was able to get a hold of it pretty quickly. Fox usually, again in my experience, carry off the carcass to eat it somewhere else or return to its den for pups.

has this predator been back since?

That makes a lot of sense because a hawk probably wouldn't be strong enough to carry her somewhere. We only have small-ish hawks here like redtails and coopers hawks and such so they wouldn't likely wouldn't be able to carry a 5 lb+ chicken, right? We have heard foxes here before, mostly at night so that makes sense..There was a few feathers into the woods a bit farther from the crime scene. No, it has not been back knock on wood