Unknown predator killing my baby chicks (IN ENGLAND)

[Cherlyn]

Hubby is a technological genius, and is rigging up a camera to show us the culprit.

Will let everyone know what this predator is as soon as I know.

~Cherlyn

 

[redhen]

hope you catch it!

 

[Sjisty]

Good luck on catching the critter!

 

[Miltonchix]

Rats will kill young birds as well.

 

[Feathered Wings]

Quote:
My first thought too.

Had a weasel chew off the heads of 10 of my ring neck doves.
Pulled them thru the wire where they were roosting and took off their heads and left the body.

I solved this by putting hardware cloth where the roost are so he couldn't reach thru and get them.
I also covered the outside edge where they sat on the bottom of the cage i did it at a width of about 5 inches.
This assured me he wasn't going to climb up the wire and pull the ones that slept on the bottom thru the wire.

Yes and Rats will chew off chicks heads too

 

[ChooksChick]

Do you have skunks? What weasel-type animals have you?

 

[Brindlebtch]

That is what I was thinking - a weasel or stoat of some kind.

 

[PortageGirl]

Cherlyn, first thing I thought of when I saw you were in England was WEASAL too!! I think it could possibly be a moggie ( that's on of these:

guys!), but really not as likely. Fox will usually carry a kill off into cover to eat it away from the coop and eat most of it too not just the head.

Could you do us a HUGE favor and edit the thread title to say something like, "Unknown predator in ENGLAND, BRITAIN, That bigish island across the ATLANTIC you Yanks!!! OK, just kidding there, mostly.

Every time someone claims it was a raccoon,

I wanted to reach through my monitor

... and no, no slapping, but at least a gentle SHAKE!

OK, I feel better now!

Rant is over!

(no, I'm from the US, just got to work with lots of everyone over the years,

)

I hope the camera shows you what it is, and before the critter gets any more too, but weasels can get into very small holes/cracks etc, so good luck!

 

[nnbreeder]

Mink will take the heads off like that as will rats. As you know both can get through very small holes so think tiny when you reinforce their area.

 

[HarlansHollowFarms]

Quote:
Hm, good idea. Very new to this, though - where would I get a live trap?

~Cherlyn

Your vet may have live traps. I they do, you may be able to borrow one.