Somethings killing my birds

[cgjsmith]

and not just one or two it took out almost two dozen in two nights. It cut the head off of several. The next night it came back and reravaged the dead bodies (I had them in a box to take out down to the woods the next morning) shredding them to pieces. So far its only hit one coop but it took out my turkeys my polish, my millie fleur, and my teenage dominiqes. We set out a live trap but it manages to set it off without being in it. any ideas? C

 

[ivan3]

Sorry for your losses. The only predator up here in Cent. MO. that can set off a live trap and back out are adult Red Fox. I know they will sometimes behead birds (neighbor shot one with nothing but a duck head in its mouth - left the rest of the ducks dead and wounded near their pond).

However, the last big fox attack at their place resulted from a pair of foxes that carried off all (13) of their Silver Laced Wyandottes in the space of 15 minutes. I found the piles of feathers arranged around the base of a cedar an acre north of their place along our fence line. She had just let them out and was getting them treats. If she hadn't walked back out when she did and saw the foxes heading off she would've never known what happened to her poor pullets (no feathers in the yard - no signs of struggle).

Since then, between our neighbors and ourselves, we've harvested six adults and destroyed two active dens.

That it is not carrying off the kill makes me suspect coon, but I've taken over 300 in havaharts over the past ten years without a backout (smart ones will try to push the trap over).

Is there any way you can lock up your survivors during the night? Whatever it is, it's not going to give up until there's nothing left to eat or it is retired from the target pool.

Take care,
John

 

[Patchofheaven]

So sorry for your losses, but it sounds like what coons did to our chickens. We had a family of raccoons that took 3 of our full grown girls in the same night. Here is some info from the BYC Predator Page:

Methods of Kill
A raccoon typically attacks birds by biting the head or upper neck area. The heads of adult birds are usually bitten off and left some distance from the body. The crop and breast may be torn and chewed and the entrails eaten. Raccoons have been known to mutilate poultry in cages by pulling heads or legs off. Several kills may be made during a single night raid with part of one or more carcasses fed upon. Dead fowl may be at the kill site or dragged several yards away. Raccoons are also serious predators of wild bird populations. Reports indicate that raccoons have been responsible for eliminating local populations of some nesting waterfowl.

My advice to you is to set a trap and get rid of your predators.

 

[chickbea]

Well, if you were in my area my first guess would be coons. It took me sleeping out in my pen for a couple of nights to finally get rid of the ones I had earlier this summer. You might have to do that!

 

[FluffyChickenMama]

Im in eastern Tn and it seems to me that we have had a surplus of coons this year... One got my daugthers little silkies.. and those coons are smart..

 

[Dawn419]

We're in White County. Our land lady has a farm behind our place and she has been having a major problem with coons this year. We've been fortunate and haven't had any problems but I think it helps that our Australian Shepherd spends most of the evening out in the yard. She loves having a flock to keep safe.

Hope you catch whatever it is soon!

 

[Wolfpacker]

I vote raccoons as well. One came down a tree into my coop last year and took all three of my girls' heads. Left me two big piles of skat which I identified.