some kind of predator...

[Chez'z Chickens]

Hey, all, I'm new to this forum but have a question for you...
We went out to the barn today and found all of my baby (4 week old) cornish x rock chicks killed in their pen.
Some adult layer chickens were also killed but they were smaller and more vulnerable than the bigger layers.
the heads were all intact but we also found one young (12 week old) chicken killed and completely buried in the dirt.
The predator dug under the wall of the barn stall. the hole wasn't very big, but about 1 -2 inches deep. What was it and how do we get rid of it??? I promised the three remaining chicks I would personally kill the predator myself if we can trap it. Let nobody stand in my way!
We're going to set a live trap tonight and see what we can catch.

Thanks in advance guys!

 

[sfw2]

So, none eaten, just killed? Sounds a bit like a cat or dog. Hope you figure it out, and the remaining chicks are okay.

 

[CMV]

Weasels will kill just for fun.
Sorry for your losses.

 

[Mrs. Glassman]

I don't know...it's strange that what ever it was burried one, unless it were digging and happened to throw dirt on it??

The hole sounds too small to be a dog. Maybe a weasle? A opposum? A raccoon?

Did you see any claw marks in the wood, or in the dirt? If it isn't going to rain, maybe you could dump out some flour where it went in and see if you can get some foot prints to help identify it, even if the trap fails.

 

[Chez'z Chickens]

I know, I was crying for the chicks that were killed. there are 3 that are well and 2 that were injured but dying slowly. it makes me mad and sad for the chicks and for the money I spent and lost by not being able to sell them.

 

[Chez'z Chickens]

I will try the flour and see what kind of tracks we get. good idea, thanks!!
The chickens that roost in the rafters and the guineas all survived. Makes me think it was some kind of crawling varmint!
and the chicken buried was buried up to her one foot sticking out. that's how my husband identified it.

 

[horsejody]

A mink might do that, especially the burying part.

 

[Bizzybirdy]

If none of them were eaten it sounds like a dog. Could something have climbed/jumped over the stall wall after trying to dig under. I know some of my horse stall sides are only 3 1/2 feet high.

So sorrry for your loss.

 

[The Wolf Queen]

Foxs bury their meals

 

[Chez'z Chickens]

So last night we set a trap with one of the murdered chicks but didn't catch anything.
Once about a year or so ago one of my cats brought me a mink as a present. We do live by a creek so that's a possibility. As far as jumping over the stall wall, the walls are 2" wood with sliding door and wire that goes up to about 9 or 10 feet. It HAD to get in/out under the wall. There was fresh dirt on the inside of the stall where it had dug out the same way it came in.
any more suggestions??
PLEASE???
I'm just devastated and perplexed!