Something attacked my chickens this morning! ID?

What could it be?

  • Weasel or Mink?

    Votes: 3 75.0%
  • Other predator?

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Raccoon reaching through the wire?

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • The pecking order?

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Other?

    Votes: 1 25.0%

  • Total voters
    4
I wonder if they may have been fighting. Sometimes they go for the neck/waffles area, and the blood seems to get everywhere. Mink and their relatives tend to kill the birds.
 
I wonder if they may have been fighting. Sometimes they go for the neck/waffles area, and the blood seems to get everywhere. Mink and their relatives tend to kill the birds.
They have been together for months with absolutely no issues. They have never attacked each other at all, it doesn't make sense they would start now, but it is very possible. I thought maybe the rooster hoarded off a Weasel, Since they are small, I have seen posts were birds have survived an attack. Since Cosmo was the most beat up maybe he got beat up in the process?
 
It could of been a weasel, mink, or even a Fisher Cat. They can fit through any hole that your finger can fit through. They'll go for the jugular. In some cases, they'll try pulling the birds through the fence. Your rooster is probably the hero, but possibly something else (like maybe one of your cats) is probably what scared it completely off. I had something in the weasel family try killing some of my chickens once, and my guineas saved the flock. As far as the ducks, they were probably too much work for the moment as far as what the predator was looking for. It was probably going after what was the easiest, and your rooster came over to give it a hard time. I suggest some blue coat for your injured birds to prevent pecking from the other chickens. The predator will be back for more, and next time, your chickens might not be so lucky. If you want to keep your chickens outside, I suggest a secure coop, or a nightgaurd. If it's a day-time predator, perhaps some electric poultry netting will help.
 
For now it's just a guessing game. To know for sure, if you have a camera, put it up because most likely whatever it was will be back and probably has been lurking looking for an opportunity then you will know for sure what you are dealing with. In the meantime fortify. Probably a weasel.
 
I'm also guessing weasel, and very lucky chickens! Keep everyone in until this is resolved, and reinforce your runs with hardware cloth everywhere, ASAP.
Sometimes pulling feathers out causes impressive bleeding, and no wounds in the skin. Wattles and combs will bleed a lot too, so is that a possibility?
Chainlink is safe, until it's not.
Mary
Rats also go for the throats, although are more dangerous at night, not during the day.
 
Sorry, if a weasel was in your run and coop, you would have a bunch of dead chickens and ducks.
I would look for something sharp like they are reaching there necks through the chain link to eat grass or something.
Rats might be a possibility but I have no experience with them.
I agree with setting up a camera to know for sure.
Good luck!
 
For now it's just a guessing game. To know for sure, if you have a camera, put it up because most likely whatever it was will be back and probably has been lurking looking for an opportunity then you will know for sure what you are dealing with. In the meantime fortify. Probably a weasel.
We do have a camera, we are defiantly gonna put it up.
 

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