Something ate my chicks

[Mistifire]

I came home from breakfast with family and found pieces of chicks. I am not sure what killed them, they were in the pen but it was the two smallest ones and they may have escaped the pen on their own. I did find one of the two out before but I can't see how they are getting loose. I just started putting the babies out in the pen for the night with the big girls a few days ago.

Can anyone tell me what would leave intestine and i think its a heart heart from both chicks? there is only a few feathers left. most of it in the dirt part of my lawn right by my back door, and there was a heart or whatever it is on my back stair, this is where they spent most of their time but it is also the dogs hang out.

I would like to think it wasn't my dog, I don't think she would have been so careful picking out pieces if it were. We live in a suburban neighborhood. I didn't see it when I brought my dog in, but I wasn't looking either.


Of course it was my two favorites.

 

[Marlinchaser]

Sounds like something domestic got ahold of them, could be your dog or a neighbourhood cat Played with them till they were no fun anymore. Most wilds that catch to eat would have eaten the whole thing.

 

[Mistifire]

Would a cat be able to eat two pigeon sized chicks?

We haven't found any bones in the yard other than a foot.

 

[Marlinchaser]

Sorry I read the original as most feathers were pulled off, but most of it(body) was by the lawn.

Yes I think a cat or two could easily eat a pigeon, especially if hungry or feeding young. After rereading, it could have been just about anything that got startled and ran off just leaving a few pieces.

 

[aidenbaby]

Yes, a cat (or two) could eat pigeon sized chicks. I don't know about two of them but I know that cats will even eat until they vomit and then continue eating. I have two known for doing this with cat food.

Is there any damage to the run/coop?

 

[The Wolf Queen]

Definetly a domestic cat. Last year I had a sparrow nest in my car port and my mother made the mistake of parking our car next to the post where the nest was, and the next day we found left over peices of week old sparrow chick on the hood of our car!!!!!!!!

. Try setting out a live trap to see what you catch, and im SO SORRY about the chicks!

 

[Mistifire]

Not that I saw when I was counting chicks, but I will look closer.

Now that I am more calmed down the pieces I thought were hearts are almost certainly hearts.

I did find a wing piece under one of the intestines when I was cleaning up. This may be an odd question, but if the chicken foot was severed how long would it take for it to go stiff? It was still flexible, I am hoping that means it was done while we were away this morning and would clear the dog's name. I let her out to potty before I cleaned it up and she didn't notice it until I pointed it out, she picked up a piece but didn't scarf it down like it was hers, she dropped it when I told her to, but I could just be reading into it and she may just be acting submissive with food.

Also, a guy I know a few streets away says he had a raccoon kill some of his hens last year, and my boyfriend says he smelled a skunk the day before and said it was strong like it was close by or the neighbors hit one and didn't wash their car.

 

[Mistifire]

The pen looks normal, the wood shavings that pile up in front of the gate are not even disturbed. I am still not sure how they got out. The other babies are up on top of the wood house inside the pen where the big girls are, they usually dont get that close. Poor things look scared

 

[Polish Chickens]

They would usually make alot of noise of what had tried to attack them but I would think it could have been a racoon or possum

 

[chickon baby]

So sorry for your loss.I do know that cats will not eat the intestines of what they catch. I have seen a cat eat all of a rabbit !/2 the size of the cat,except for the intestines and feet. Not sure about other preditors. Hope that helps.Hope you find out what did this,I'd get a live trap to see what is around the coop?