This is all that is left of my 3 month old rooster, Carlito. I post this under peafowl because Carlito and his three hen sisters have been hatched and raised along with my one and only peachick for the year, Chiquita. I had them all in the same pen and thought the pen was predator proof. I lock them in at night inside a very secure hen house. Just outside their little chicken door is a secure pen with 1/4" hardware cloth on top and sides with a foot of wire buried to keep out digging predators. That outer pen opens out to a larger chicken run made from panels of chain link fence covered in bird netting. At night they are secure inside the henhouse. In the morning I let them out into the secure hardware cloth pen for breakfast and then out into the chain link day run. I went to town today to buy batteries for my game camera and when I returned in late afternoon I went down to set up the game camera. Before I even reached the henhouse I could smell the predator...heavy musky smell. I was immediately on alert and went directly to the henhouse and found Carlito.
His head and one wing and feathers were outside the chain link run. There were feathers inside and outside the fence. It looks like something pulled his head and wing out through the fence. The head was intact but the craw was gone. AND there was no body and no legs. I could find no sign that the predator had entered the pen but it must have done so since the body and legs were gone...unless they had also been pulled through the chain link fence (can't imagine how that could have happened). Another distressing mystery here at Wildhaven Farm. I am distrought at losing Carlito, but am also worried now for the safety of my peachick, Chiquita.
I am thinking of covering the chain link with small bird netting tomorrow but I really don't have much confidence in that solution until I know what predator I am dealing with. I am looking into setting up an electric fence around my pens...not sure what else will help. I appreciate any comments.
His head and one wing and feathers were outside the chain link run. There were feathers inside and outside the fence. It looks like something pulled his head and wing out through the fence. The head was intact but the craw was gone. AND there was no body and no legs. I could find no sign that the predator had entered the pen but it must have done so since the body and legs were gone...unless they had also been pulled through the chain link fence (can't imagine how that could have happened). Another distressing mystery here at Wildhaven Farm. I am distrought at losing Carlito, but am also worried now for the safety of my peachick, Chiquita.
I am thinking of covering the chain link with small bird netting tomorrow but I really don't have much confidence in that solution until I know what predator I am dealing with. I am looking into setting up an electric fence around my pens...not sure what else will help. I appreciate any comments.