RANT!!

[Melly-Mae]

The very same day I post about my rumpless baby that I was so proud of, a predator breaks into my coop and kills her and her hatchmate! They took her, leaving only feathers behind right outside the coop fencing and only ate the head from the other, leaving the body still inside the fence. The entrance hole it made under the fence was very small. Like rat size. But do rats drag them off like that?

 

[Trish1974]

I am so sorry for your loss. I have no experience with rats so no advice unfortunately; just wanted to offer my condolences.

 

[KikiLeigh02]

I am so sorry for your loss. I'm not sure about a rat, but I know a weasel will do that.

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

That's so sad! I'm sorry for your loss Maybe mink/weasel

 

[Shakes3100]

I don' have the link but there is a way to Google a way of answering several questions online and it gives you a percent of what got to your girls. I blamed a raccon but it was most likely the dog. Sorry for your loss

 

[Flamens Farm]

What a shame, so sorry to hear about your babies. I don't know about rats either or weasels. I have too many cats for them to make it to my chicken pen. But I did want you to know how sad I was to hear about your loss.

 

[Melly-Mae]

Thank you all so much. It always seems like it’s your favorite ones for some reason. I will have to look and see if we even have mink or weasels in Oklahoma. My usual culprits are opposums and coons but unless it was an extremely young/small one it just doesn’t fit.

 

[123RedBeard]

Coons can fit through VERY TINY spaces ... weasels will just kill and suck/drink the blood, leaving the body behind ... nothing for one weasel to kill a dozen or MORE chickens at a time ...

 

[Melly-Mae]

OK, I just found out we do have a long tail weasel is in Oklahoma. But one had the head removed which would sound like the weasel but the second one was taken andeaten outside the pen. The second one sounds more like coon. I’m thinking Possibly small coon that tried to pull the one inside the pen through the wire by its head maybe? All I know is I’m setting several live traps tonight and I’ll hopefully have the bugger by tomorrow.