The 2018 Great May Massacre

[Bflow08]

Well I'm in need of your opinions. I had 43 Cornish Cross meat chickens in a pen they are currently 6 weeks old. the pen I had them in is a 3 sided metal shed, this week we have had a string of 95 degree weather this is unseasonably warm. I live in Northern Indiana about 30 min south of Lake Michigan. I moved the birds to a temporary fence under a shade tree with a mister because of the heat and this is when it happened. I had not had any signs of a predator until now. The night that I move them is when this happened. I wake up to find the temporary fence tore down and 33 yes 33 chickens dead or missing. 3 we were found dead in the pen 3 were found outside of the pen dead 1 had its guts removed. the other 27 are gone, vanished. I went to look at the neighbors dog who I see occasionally but has never messed with them or my egg layers and I didn't find anything next to its pen (neighbor lives about 1/4 a mile away). The next night I put electric netting around them and this morning I find the netting down and 1 chicken had a bite mark on its back but none dead or taken so it probably got a shock. this is two nights in a row and I am betting it returns for a 3rd night in a row tonight. What am I dealing with? I am thinking a fox family or a coyote family. My plan is to stay up tonight in the barn and blast this thing into the next county. Question is do you think it will return tonight and what am is your guess on what I'm dealing with?

thanks
Bryan

 

[SpeckledSussex2005]

In january A large bobcat got into our coop and killed all ten of our chickens in one night.

 

[Nardo]

Tell us the details, not to be gross but because different animals eat/mutilate in different ways.
For instance, this animal hunts at night ruling out daytime predators.
What parts were eaten? Only the heads? Or only the entrails? Were there feathers all around or just dead chickens lying on the ground? I'm leaning towards a big cat (bob, cougar, panther, etc.) because they take often their prey off somewhere safer to eat but canines (Wolves, foxes, etc.) play with it right where they are and lose interest once it stops running away.
Owls probably couldn't do all of that even thought they do hunt at night.
These are just starting questions.

 

[SpeckledSussex2005]

Bflow08, I think you got wiped out by a coyote family.

 

[MillersFarm]

I've had the wort experiences with minks and fisher cats, The tend to kill Everything you've got, Had a fisher cat a few years ago kill 48 of my laying hens and a mink kill almost all of my old chickens I kept separately, The minks will leave all the bodies so if 33 are missing then my guess is either you've got a fisher cat or a fox on your hands.

 

[Bflow08]

A bobcat I think would be rare in this area I have never seen one this far north in Indiana until you get into Michigan so that’s doubtful. It is a night time predator. Of the 6 of 33 that I found only one looked to be mutilated and only it’s guys were out of it the other 5 looked to have bite makes but not on the heads more on the body of the chickens the other 27 are just gone. These are broilers so I know they wouldn’t just rub away where I wouldn’t find them on the quad. No one could have taken them because they would have had to come past my house and the dogs inside would have alerted us and why would they leave some and kill some? This happened at night. So I’m thinking fox or coyote.

 

[Bflow08]

Currently 12:22 in the stake out the neighbors dog did come in within 10 yards I went undetected by him I heard him come through the woods. I watched and he showed zero interest in either the broilers or the egg layers. He peed on a few trees and moved on! He is not the culprit!

 

[Conan]

I bet you're right on the money with coyotes. Probably teaching the pups to hunt. Rotten buggers.

 

[drumstick diva]

what a shame

 

[pennyJo1960]

any news net may be a bobcat where are you located