Something ripped the head off my Ruby, in the coop, yesterday

[Shinnuk]

I'm so sorry for your loss

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

@LeviS
@daxigait

I could see Weasel/Ermine/Mink, But, This is only one bird.Normally they stack many bird with there heads ripped off.....

 

[deepbluesea]

I would say weasel/mink/martin/etc, that's a signature move of theirs. Not only kill your beloved chicken, but just let it go to waste too...not even eat it.

Though the raccoon is also a possibility.

Sorry this happened to you, I know the feeling. I lost the majority of my birds last year to one.

Oh man--that's rough. Sorry for you, too. I'll check with my resident experts about the weasel. Did not know that. Thanks.

 

[deepbluesea]

@LeviS
@daxigait

I could see Weasel/Ermine/Mink, But, This is only one bird.Normally they stack many bird with there heads ripped off.....

Ack! That's not so much predators as just jerks.

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

Ack! That's not so much predators as just jerks.

I know, It's awful.
I know how everyone feels

 

[Tlmcq]

A raccoon will pull whatever part they can get thru small holes, poultry wire etc... Usually they will do this until they get the whole bird thru part by part, but if it could not get to the rest or was interuppted it may have left before finishing. Anything they can get their hands thru is big enough for them to kill thru. So soad, I'm so very sorry for your loss.

 

[daxigait]

Weasels mink etc. only need a very small access hole.
If you have a game camera you could set it out for a night or two. It is a really scary education.

 

[Tlmcq]

I would do a thorough check around my coop..Any hole bigger than half an inch needs to be covered or hardware clothed. And that includes hardware cloth 6 inches min. Into ground around run and coop if on ground and it has no bottom. Once a predator realized there's food there they will come back and try for more

 

[deepbluesea]

Thanks everyone. I have hardware cloth over all of the coop and run, but there is a gap of about two inches square at the very top. I have it blocked with a scoop handle, but I'll cut more hardware cloth tonight. I also have cloth spread out six or so inches on the ground around the run and haven't seen any digging--do you think I should bury it instead?

 

[deepbluesea]

I'll borrow a game camera tonight.