Sad Day

[Howard E]

Other candidates are a weasel or mink. Take a closer look at the hen found in the coop and the rooster. Look for small bite marks on the back of their necks.

Coons are certainly possible....heads missing is one of their calling cards. But they usually operate at night.

 

[llombardo]

I can't even imagine coming home to that. I am so sorry.

Don't know if it was mentioned but what kind of material did they manage to get through to get to the chickens?

 

[BidDaddy]

Sorry to hear about your discovery. I’m new to this stuff but why do you suspect the other two died of a hear attack? What would that have been caused by?

 

[Trellinius]

I'm with Howard E....may have been a weasel or a mink. If so the only real remedy is to kill the varmint. They can slip through a hole smaller than a 1/2 dollar, sometimes the size of a quarter.
However, both coons and weasels are nocturnal and generally operate at night (though not always. If indeed the other two died of a heart attack, the two against the fence may have been attacked by a coyote or stray dog.

 

[chickendreams24]

I am in agreement it could have also been a mink or weasel.

We have been struggling with a mink for over a year now. They're very intelligent and hard to get. Ours however *knock on wood* has never killed and killed. We know it's a mink because we have seen it.

I didn't mention it originally because I don't know where you're located but the more I thought about it the more the two dead ones inside didn't make sense when you said they had no visible injuries. Pluck the feathers on the head and neck of their bodies if you can to look for little punctures. Next check the coop has no holes bigger than 1/4 inch. Lesser weasels are tiny. Any hole a mouse can fit through a lesser weasel can. Any hole a rat can fit through a mink can fit through.

 

[Hensndoes]

Sounds like a weasel. If you check the necks of the two that still have their heads you'll likely see 2 little puncture holes. sorry

 

[smalltownflock]

thanks everyone for your thoughts and help, I set a have a heart trap up last night and caught a weasel, I will be relocating him today. unfortunately none of my birds have survived but I've already put new coop plans to paper and have ordered my new clutch of chicks that should be hatched and ready for pick up in a few weeks. I'm also thinking about adding a goose to the flock for some protection and even possibly getting a couple goats and having them all in the same penned in area.

 

[Hensndoes]

My coop is in the goat yard. Them goats gnaw it all day. Pita having to latch a gate every time I go in there too. Other birds really aren't going to provide much protection. Hardware cloth every bit of the run and coop will though.

 

[Howard E]

Good catch on the weasel, but you may want to rethink that part about relocating it. Relocate to where? That one already knows about chickens, so if you relocate to a place near chickens, you are dumping your weasel=dead bird problem on someone else. Plus weasels are territorial.....it had a home and had known places where it could go to find food. It won't know anything about the area where you dump it.
Ironically, the best place to dump a weasel might be in an urban area with a known rat infestation. It could "go to town" there!

 

[Jamie Molihan]

I am so sorry this happened to you, it is heartbreaking to even read. Did any of your flock survive?