Tobymartin601
In the Brooder
- Sep 11, 2021
- 11
- 30
- 41
Here are the facts: One chicken, a year and a half years old, named kitty, found beheaded inside the hens' fenced off portion of the yard. Some feathers strewn about, neck feathers on the body were wet.
My mom heard sqwuaking earlier in the day, but didn't check on it.
Suspects: The family puppy, who has a history of chicken killing since we got him last april. But he has never killed inside the fenced area, because he can't get in the gate(and close it again how I found it), and the other chickens are unharmed. The kill looks like his usual style however.
Greg, the opossum that I nicknamed after sighting him four nights ago in my backyard at night. I've only just attributed the broken shells in my coop to him. He's my primary hunch, but I've never had an opossum kill an adult chicken before, and the placement of the body is away from the shed where I saw him escape (I've been baiting a trap every night to get him, so far I've caught a young raccoon and my cat) Also my mom's testimony that there was a commotion in daylight hours makes me think the killing took place during the day, which would be a weird time for an opossum to kill. But that sqwuaking could be unrelated.
Other possibilities could be a raccoon, even a hawk. Do hawks normally just take the head? I've noticed them recently in my neighborhood. I live in a neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but as mentioned wildlife isn't uncommon.
Thanks for reading, I appreciate any thoughts or questions.
My mom heard sqwuaking earlier in the day, but didn't check on it.
Suspects: The family puppy, who has a history of chicken killing since we got him last april. But he has never killed inside the fenced area, because he can't get in the gate(and close it again how I found it), and the other chickens are unharmed. The kill looks like his usual style however.
Greg, the opossum that I nicknamed after sighting him four nights ago in my backyard at night. I've only just attributed the broken shells in my coop to him. He's my primary hunch, but I've never had an opossum kill an adult chicken before, and the placement of the body is away from the shed where I saw him escape (I've been baiting a trap every night to get him, so far I've caught a young raccoon and my cat) Also my mom's testimony that there was a commotion in daylight hours makes me think the killing took place during the day, which would be a weird time for an opossum to kill. But that sqwuaking could be unrelated.
Other possibilities could be a raccoon, even a hawk. Do hawks normally just take the head? I've noticed them recently in my neighborhood. I live in a neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but as mentioned wildlife isn't uncommon.
Thanks for reading, I appreciate any thoughts or questions.