Firstly, we're located in Tasmania, Australia. We don't have foxes here, or the 'usual suspects' like quolls or Tasmanian Devils. Our property backs onto grazing paddocks, so no real forested areas.
We do, however, have numerous birds of prey species in the area - goshawks, falcons and sea-eagles. Up until now, we've never lost a chick through an animal attack.
We lost a chick about two weeks ago. It was in the process of hatching beneath a broody hen. However, when I went to check on its progress during the day, it was missing. The egg and chick was gone, with only a line of yolk trailing a few inches out of the nest left. The mother hen and her other chicks were unharmed.
Now, we've lost an older chick - a four week old Pekin. I had seen her about an hour before I found the body; when I saw her, she was with her siblings and mother, but her mother has been leaving them alone several times throughout the day.
I found her at around 7:00pm; it's spring here, so the sun is out until about 8:00pm, so it was still very bright. She was in the run which is about 3m/10ft wide/20foot long with multiple dog kennels/perches throughout/5 foot fence around it. The area is also partially covered by overhanging branches/vines/shade cloth, so we've never considered it a 'risky' spot. She was still quite 'floppy' when we found her, so she couldn't have been dead for long.
Here's the photos, as describing the scene would take quite a bit. We found her face-down, like the last two images.
It looks like she's been 'smacked' into the wooden beam at some point, and skinned. Those are her intestines outside of her body, about half a foot or so away. I am absolutely torn up about the fact that she came to such an end while I was so close by. All the hens were afraid of the body and wouldn't go into the area until they had watched me down there for some time.
We thought the other hens at first. They had come across a baby startling earlier in the day and had tried to eat it (I took it off them) but none had any blood on them, and none would even touch the body. I know a hawk/eagle was around during the day, as one landed about 100 yards away from the hens and I at around 4pm when I was with them in the free-ranging paddock.
My partner checked his mother's shih tzu mix, who I had spotted outside at around 6pm or so (she is usually kept in a separate yard, but keeps being let out by other people). She's 'chased' the big hens before (lazily), but never grabbed them or even tried to catch them. However, she had what he described as 'the tiniest bit of blood smudged on her chin.' He's convinced she couldn't have done it, but I'm not sure. She might have just investigated the body.
So, sorry for the massively long post but I'm just...baffled, really. The wounds are so severe looking, but I can't understand why a hawk wouldn't have taken the body or eaten anything, and could a dog do that without having more blood on them? Or am I looking at the wrong culprits entirely?
We do, however, have numerous birds of prey species in the area - goshawks, falcons and sea-eagles. Up until now, we've never lost a chick through an animal attack.
We lost a chick about two weeks ago. It was in the process of hatching beneath a broody hen. However, when I went to check on its progress during the day, it was missing. The egg and chick was gone, with only a line of yolk trailing a few inches out of the nest left. The mother hen and her other chicks were unharmed.
Now, we've lost an older chick - a four week old Pekin. I had seen her about an hour before I found the body; when I saw her, she was with her siblings and mother, but her mother has been leaving them alone several times throughout the day.
I found her at around 7:00pm; it's spring here, so the sun is out until about 8:00pm, so it was still very bright. She was in the run which is about 3m/10ft wide/20foot long with multiple dog kennels/perches throughout/5 foot fence around it. The area is also partially covered by overhanging branches/vines/shade cloth, so we've never considered it a 'risky' spot. She was still quite 'floppy' when we found her, so she couldn't have been dead for long.
Here's the photos, as describing the scene would take quite a bit. We found her face-down, like the last two images.
It looks like she's been 'smacked' into the wooden beam at some point, and skinned. Those are her intestines outside of her body, about half a foot or so away. I am absolutely torn up about the fact that she came to such an end while I was so close by. All the hens were afraid of the body and wouldn't go into the area until they had watched me down there for some time.
We thought the other hens at first. They had come across a baby startling earlier in the day and had tried to eat it (I took it off them) but none had any blood on them, and none would even touch the body. I know a hawk/eagle was around during the day, as one landed about 100 yards away from the hens and I at around 4pm when I was with them in the free-ranging paddock.
My partner checked his mother's shih tzu mix, who I had spotted outside at around 6pm or so (she is usually kept in a separate yard, but keeps being let out by other people). She's 'chased' the big hens before (lazily), but never grabbed them or even tried to catch them. However, she had what he described as 'the tiniest bit of blood smudged on her chin.' He's convinced she couldn't have done it, but I'm not sure. She might have just investigated the body.
So, sorry for the massively long post but I'm just...baffled, really. The wounds are so severe looking, but I can't understand why a hawk wouldn't have taken the body or eaten anything, and could a dog do that without having more blood on them? Or am I looking at the wrong culprits entirely?
I'm sorry for your loss.
