Something got my turkey poult

[JewelBirds]

This morning I found one of my 5 week turkey poults in the turkey coop that was eaten by something. The only thing left of him was his wings and a foot. It really made me sick to my stomach and I felt so bad for him. It's the first bird that I've lost to a predator. He was housed with three adult turkeys (two hens, one tom) and two other turkey poults, which are all doing okay. I've looked over the coop and there's no way something really big could've gotten in there. I'm thinking a rat or weasel possibly. Would something like that do this?
I'm renovating their pen right now to prevent whatever it was or anything else from getting in there.

 

[Pyxis]

Can you post a picture of the pen? Is the pen covered? What type of wire did you use to build it?

 

[CntryBoy777]

A bit more info would be very helpful, but given your description I would lean more towards a possum or a coon. Although, if it was a coon, then more would've been dead...unless a small coon that got startled by something....possibly a fox. I don't believe it would be a rat and a weasel usually won't eat that much of the bird...usually just the head. Sure sorry for your loss and if your wire is poultry wire, then it isn't enough to protect your birds....many predators can rip right thru it.

 

[JewelBirds]

They have an enclosed pen, made of OSB, where they go at night. They were locked in that pen when the predator got to the baby. They do have a window that's covered with hardware cloth. I found no holes, no tears either on the outside or inside of the pen or coop. The only place something could have gotten in was a small hole at the top of their enclosed, wood, pen. And I'm talking 1.5×1 inch space.
I will try to get or find a picture soon.

 

[JewelBirds]

Okay so I went to check on the coop, figuring the culprit would be back, and I found a small young possum. Apparently he got in that hole and he was probably the one who got the turkey.

 

[sourland]

Hopefully he was the culprit, and the problem has been solved.

 

[Sara Ranch]

*hugs*