The mystery predator/ breaking into a HenSpa

[Germaine_11.20]

That is just sick. Why didn't they just open it and take them out.

 

[1stepcloser]

Man.

That is AWFUL!!!!!

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

We had a similar problem with week. We set a live trap with the remains of the hen as bait and caught a nice, fat possum.

ETA: HOWEVER, now that I see the pictures, there is no possum smart enough to chew a hole like that!

 

[Tala]

If they wanted it to look like an animal preditor they shouldn't have cut such straight lines! DUH! Way to cover your tracks! *sarcasm intended*

 

[suburbanminifarm]

But this could be from an animal, if the netting rips along in straight lines.... like if something put its claws in it and got caught and pulled really hard? The lower right of the netting definitely looks "pulled". What did the carcass look like? any dried up "wet" spots from saliva? teeth marks?

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Quote:
i think you may be onto something. Look at the pics again, how the pieces of plastic where it is "cut" are long and pulled, not sliced. It very well may have been pulled open by an animal.

That plastic netting is not secure at all. i would never expect it to hold up to any predator, human or animal.

 

[drumstick diva]

Did you find any hair, or blood stuck to the remaining mesh? I'm thinking if a preditor of the human kind stuck his hand in he might have gotten scratched leaving some evidence behind.

Gee all you need is the crew from CSI and in an hour, they'll have your perp. If it was an animal (coon) or whatever would there be some hair or fur ?

What a horrible thing to have happen.I'm all for a coop cam. Hope you discover who(what) the preditor was.

 

[silkiechicken]

Looks human enough for me. As soon as human opens hole to try and grab birds, but fail, they don't fix it and the opportunistic preds come in for the kill.

 

[Katy]

I've got some plastic netting that looks very similar to that in the picture and that stuff will rip like that if something pulls on it ,especially if it's a little brittle. That plastic stuff is meant to keep a chicken in...not a predator out. I only use it on some of my inner divider fences.....not where anything could pull or chew on it.

 

[Tala]

Quote:
That's kinda what I was thinking.

Although I agree that using plastic fence is not much protection for your birds.

I think it's STRANGE that the first time they have preditor problems with their flimsy fence is when they just happen to be gone for the weekend. Raccoons may be smart, but I don't think they're THAT bright.