We lost more than half our flock.. but to what?? (Graphic pictures)

[longshot farm]

At the risk of being morbid...I couldn't tell from the pics, but were their heads mangled up? This spring we had a weasel get into our coop and kill half of our hens. Weasel's usually kill by grabbing the head and I guess they just hold on until the victim is dead. Out of our girls that were killed, one was partially eaten and the rest just had their heads...
The rotten little varmit got in through a 1" knot hole in the pine door of the coop. He proceeded to curl up in the hay under the nesting boxes after he had gotten his belly full.

 

[jemagsy]

I am not sure about their heads what you saw of them is what I saw... I'll ask Chris when he gets home about their heads, he buried them before work this morning.

As to some of the questions yes we had it where they could get in & out of the coop on there on, that will be changing as of today. And the run is made out of a lot of fence we had laying around the property, some chicken wire (only on the very top of the run as I didn't feel it was too strong), some of that 1"x3" wire that was used for an old german shepard's pen previously. We tacked all that down pretty tight and made sure there were no holes, however we are now reinforcing EVERYTHING.

First and foremost our two remaining "little" girls will stay in the barn for at least a few more days. I want to get all the blood & feathers cleaned out.

I just got back from Lowes too, got some wood to make doors and close off that netted area in the pictures. My grandmother brought over 100 feet of chicken wire which I'm going to put over and secure to all the other wire. Its not the sturdiest stuff but it will make an extra layer of fencing that something will have to get through. It is also much tinier - just 1" wire. Our run is pretty large 17' w x 16' l x 8' h and the coop sits inside that on raised concrete blocks at 4' w x 8' l x 4' h.

I will take pictures this afternoon of before and after to see if there are more suggestions and will also post what Chris had to say about the heads & bodies. Again thank you all so much for your help and condolences. It means so much having people to talk to who understand how much it hurts and how much work goes into these relationships & caring for these girls.

 

[LynneP]

I'm thinking coon or possum...so sorry. Thank you for showing the pictures, I think that the sad loss will help others to fortify their coops.

 

[chicken a-go-go]

I am so sorry. I am new to raising chickens, but I use to work at a wildlife rescue place where a mink got hold of a HUGE goose and ate its heart out. They only eat certain parts and leave the rest. They are hard to keep away because they are so skinny. They can squeeze between boards so easily. I worry about them with my own new flock. Our first line of defense around the bottom of our wire is good ol' rocks. It also makes it harder for dogs to dig under. Good luck. and again I am so sorry.

 

[Cats Critters]

I'm So sorry for your loss

 

[Skyesrocket]

What a horrible thing to find. Sorry for your loss.
I would say weasel. A weasel will kill for the excitment of it. And leave a mangled mess lay there.
Weasels can get into just about everything. I wouldn't put the two survivors back until you set up a trap. And keep trapping everynight to be sure to get all of them.
Also, put a door on the coop. So the birds are secure at night. Check the coop for every crack and cover them. It doesn't take much space for a weasel to squeeze through.

 

[ole-crone]

A weasel or mink can squeeze through the tiniest hole but always remember that a raccoon can open a door - and some are smart enough to close it! I once opened an outside nesting box to find a gizzard neatly laying on the bedding. No blood, no dead chicken anywhere. He had killed the chicken elsewhere and brought back the gizzard to show me that he had been there. Oh yes, he left pictoglyphs of his bloody paws all over the wall. This guy loved to kill chickens and then bring them to the back door to relax and have dinner.

 

[DuckLady]

Looks like the work of a raccoon.
Get a trap and take care of it swiftly and humanely. It WILL be back.

 

[silkiechicken]

Looks like it could be the work of a coon, but all the ones I had coons get, took the bodies back out with them and just left feathers or a head. I almost want to suggest possum since the middle of the body was evascerated it seems from the pic.