Crazy Chicken Keeper
Songster
While our family was on holiday, a chicken went broody, and three weekslater she hatched three chicks - a lovely white female, and dappled brown male and a cross-beaked black female. They are now 12 weeks old.
Now the lovely white and the cross-beaked black are both thriving happily - the mother still hasn't dumped them. But midday today, I went out to check on the chooks, as I have valuable Orpingtons there, and saw a wing lying on the ground. I picked it up and realised something had killed my dappled male who I was planning to keep as a stud rooster. The predator had left nothing but the wing. I looked round the pen - no feathers, no nothing. Just the wing.
Now, the neighbour lost their last chicken a couple of days ago so I am suspecting the same predator. I have seen some wild cats but they are skinny road-runners, who I didn't think were a threat. A stoat would be my first guess, but I have never seen a stoat around here. Other candidates would be ferret, hawk, rat, weasel or maybe our house cat? I dou bt the last she was good friends with my old rooster.
Pics of the wing, top and underside:
As you can see it seems to be quite a clean seperation from the body. I have never had anything like this before. I would appreciate kind advice on what would have happened. I am blocking up all holes in their coop where they sleep after I hav posted this. It probably happened last night as I don't remember seeing him when I fed and watered the birds.
Thanks.
Now the lovely white and the cross-beaked black are both thriving happily - the mother still hasn't dumped them. But midday today, I went out to check on the chooks, as I have valuable Orpingtons there, and saw a wing lying on the ground. I picked it up and realised something had killed my dappled male who I was planning to keep as a stud rooster. The predator had left nothing but the wing. I looked round the pen - no feathers, no nothing. Just the wing.
Now, the neighbour lost their last chicken a couple of days ago so I am suspecting the same predator. I have seen some wild cats but they are skinny road-runners, who I didn't think were a threat. A stoat would be my first guess, but I have never seen a stoat around here. Other candidates would be ferret, hawk, rat, weasel or maybe our house cat? I dou bt the last she was good friends with my old rooster.
Pics of the wing, top and underside:
As you can see it seems to be quite a clean seperation from the body. I have never had anything like this before. I would appreciate kind advice on what would have happened. I am blocking up all holes in their coop where they sleep after I hav posted this. It probably happened last night as I don't remember seeing him when I fed and watered the birds.
Thanks.
