The hawk is gone, but something else has moved in..

[tacothechicken]

So our cooper seems to be officially done going after the pigeons in the loft after he got trapped 2 weeks back and had to face a bunch of dogs and human coming after him. BUT this morning I went out to count another bird missing my valencian Figueroa hen was apparently killed sometime last night while they were all asleep! It definitely WAS NOT a hawk. She was totally intact except that her head had been crushed and eaten(beak and all) and she had a almost perfect hole in her chest where something went after her heart or liver, (wasnt paying attention to which) we have squirrels, rats and I wouldnt be surprised if there were weasels about. What do you think got to her? I'm thinking of breaking down the loft today and relocating it them and putting birds back in once I dont have starving predators all over our property come spring. Ps i think whatever it is is living directly under the loft, I pulled back the flooring to find a 1 1/2 to 2 in wide hole underneath. Would rats go after pigeons if there was already feed about? Our dogs hunt and kill the rats on our property so I wouldn't be surprised if it ran to the back field and moved in to escape the jaws of death.

 

[FluffTheDuck]

@Eggcessive @casportpony @staceyj @Texas Kiki @Ducksandchickens

 

[casportpony]

Rats do eat pigeons.

 

[FluffTheDuck]

That’s most likely the answer then

 

[Kiki]

Rats...
Get some half inch hardware cloth asap.

 

[tacothechicken]

Ugh. Figured as much -_- welp imma just break down the loft then and relocate it. Probably keep the birds locked up near the main house for a few days so I can be sure it's pred proof. @Texas Kiki i have 1/2 hardware cloth PREPAIRED! but they have an open shelter whithin their aviary :/ which is chain link fencing, should I put door back on the shelter area and just hardware cloth the ground beneath where they sleep in the loft? I assume they should be safe during the day time when they can see and such, but it struck at night and im pretty sure she was sleeping on a support to a nest box, which puts any nesting birds at risk... I could wire the whole 10×10 floor but pretty sure whith chain link aviary itd be kinda moot. I built it to whithstand coons and hawks and coyote, but we have so much fruit and other foods about the property I didn't think rats would be have reason much less be ballsy enough to go straight for a pigeon

 

[tacothechicken]

To clarify shelter is 3 sided 4x4x6 but it's in a chain link aviary so i assume I should hardware the ground beneath the shelter and then put on some actual doors to prevent varmints from just walking right in.

 

[tacothechicken]

Ugh..now I'm concerned for my pullets and ducklings outside this is gonna cause me so much stress

 

[pennyJo1960]

A weasel can go through the chain link easy but will kill all they like killing you have rat under it sorry

 

[tacothechicken]

@penny1960 i thought that was the case we had a fox attack our chickens once and I'm pretty sure weasels are similar in thier 'berserker' mode. The chain link has been surrounded by heavy duty tarp all winter but I just removed it post snow melt. May put it back on to prevent anymore unwanted attention now...