Somthing killed my Full grown Royal palmTom last night.

[Joe.G]

SO I let my Full Grown Tom out of his pen yesterday to start his free ranging life, The Hen is still in the pen sitting on eggs. Well I went to check on him with the kids this morning and I found feathers in one of the fields, a little bit away's from where I left him last night, I then started to find huge feather piles, and then I found him on the edge of the field, Upper body real bloody bottom half un touched poor guy. I am guessing it had to be a decent sized animal to get him that far. Poor guy first night free ranging and hes gone.

 

[itsjustme]

I'm so sorry. I have 3 royal palms and though iv lost plenty of birds to hawks and idk what nothing has ever bothered my toms. My dogs did kill my one and only hen though. And your story makes me believe that's what got your tom. Had it been any other preditor hunting I don't believe you would have found a body. And if u had it wouldn't be as intact as it was. And I'm sorry I'm trying to sound insensitive or anything I just don't no a better way to say it. Did u notice puncture wounds at all? With my hen there way 2 punctures near her neck kind of chest area the back end was untouched there was very little blood anywhere. There was feathers where they first stared chasing her and feathers where they had caught her. I hope this was a little helpfull? Oh do you no if it happened during the day or while he was roosting?

 

[kuntrygirl]

Sorry to hear about your tom. Was he penned up or not?

 

[Joe.G]

It happened over night, This was his first time out of the pen and I don't think he roosted, It was getting dark last I saw him and he was still on the ground.

There were feather piles all over the place and his up body neck head area were in bad shape. I don't have stray dog's around here and I know it wasn't my dog's, since they are great with the birds and plus they were inside with me.

 

[MamaRoo]

I pen all of my birds overnight, even though they free range during the day. There are just too many predators.

 

[itsjustme]

I'm stumped. I have heard weasles and coons will bite chickens heads off but I can't see them taking on an adult tom. I'm going to guess coyote but I don't no why it didn't take the bird with it? Or even eat it there? I wish you luck. And please let me no if u find out what happen.

 

[gilmeryote]

A yote wouldn't of left anything behind.Probably a dog.Do ya'll have bobcats up that way?They'll work on turkeys but usually hide the leftovers.

 

[Joe.G]

We have almost anything you can think of, My Two rotties do a pretty good job of keeping things away from here, But they were in the house with me and I had the fan going so no one could here anything, They are pretty good about letting me know if something is outside but I had all windows and doors shut that night.

 

[itsjustme]

I have a boxer who has to stay in a kennel bc he likes to run off. And just recently got a great Pyrenees. She's been good about keeping preditors away she loves to bark! and done an excellent job keeping the boxer home until they decided to "play with the birdies in the middle of the night" cost me 3 buff orps and a hen turkey who wasn't quite full grown but close. Neither 1 of them will go near any of my toms. They are skeered! I'm not sure why but I'm fine with it lol

 

[yorkchick]

Raccoon. I just lost a Jersey Buff Tom last night and my Royal Palm got chewed up some, the buff was dragged quite a distance. The only thing that I think saved the Palm is his attack happened right where my five geese hang out. I am 99% sure this was a raccoon. These two turkeys have roosted outside safely for a full year now, and I too thought that a raccoon wouldn't attack an adult Tom. But it had gotten a chicken two days before, same MO, bloody head, carcass eaten a little but most of it left--and no signs of any stray dogs. I have isolated the Palm, treating with injectible antibiotics and keeping the wound clean with Vetericyn--and no more roosting outside...