strange repeated chicken and chick murders. (graphic)

[cluck-addict]

my chickens weren't crushed.... but the heads were either missing completely or were detached. Some of the necks were gone. The culprit sure seems to be a weasel but might be raccoon too.

FYI.

Sorry to hear about your loss. Mine just happened two days ago. I lost half the flock... about 30 birds in one night. needless to say we have been on high alert.

Good luck,

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Sounds human to me.....

 

[OHWoosterChick]

I vote human, any ornery kids or disruntled neighbors around?

 

[mikescanlon]

some strange kids around. some homeless people in the woods, i swear i hate this house.

lost another one last night, a duck, smashed, completely intact, the gate wasn't opened, no footprints, nothin, duck didn't lose a feather. it was about a month old or so, one of the ones i hatched.

i dotn know what a skunk ape is, i dont think we have any here.

 

[GA Peach in VA]

I know this is going to sound odd, but have you tried sprinkling flour around the outside of your brooder? It might help identify footprints and or direct of predator?
I am trying to figure out what got 2 of my chickens. Whatever it is has sprung both traps and still leaves no signs . So, I thought I would try flour around the run-(the chicks have been moved) and see what traces are left behind. Plus, my friend is getting me a bigger trap.

 

[barred-rocks-rock]

i would get two roosters. i say two because you seem to have a lot of chickens

 

[19Dawn76]

I would get a wildlife camera. It would eat me up not knowing what it is.

Please keep us posted.

 

[mikescanlon]

i had some roosters, but my nearby neighbors called animal control about the noise, and then called police about noise, so i was being neighborly, and got rid of them, they never actually talked to me personally about it, so that drove me crazy.



anyway, when i got home today, 3 more meat birds and my last two little boy chicks are missing, have human foot prints and dog foot prints, the gate was opened and closed.

i am soo happy i dont have a lease, i am moving asap, i dont want to live like this, this is rediculous, and this time all the birds were in the coop all day long, and this coop has been racoon proof since before i put the fence up.

so for sure confirmed it is a human, maybe the strange kid next door likes to watch his little dog sick my chickens? i dont know.

 

[LarryPQ]

Even if you are moving, you may want to invest in a motion camera/lights. If it is a predator of the two-legged kind, even a young one, his parents need to know if there is a "problem".

A child who hurts animals for fun may need help.

If his parents know, and don't care, the other neighbors may need to know for their own animals (and childrens') safety. Those who hurt small animals for fun are often being hurt themselves and almost always escalate to bigger prey.

I am not saying you need to save the world here, but it is a good idea to protect yourself.

 

[The Wolf Queen]

I vote you you sit someplace cozy with a bb or pb gun and wait for those B****** to show up then shoot at them.