What animal ate my babies?

[Pekin747]

Sounds like a coon attack to me. Raccoons have been known to kill without intent to eat, while, in my experience, hawks tend to take the whole package. I've seen fox attacks, coon attacks, and hawk attacks. It sounds most like a coon to me. We have started locking all poultry indoors at night after a coon killed our duck and injured two others (who happened to have chunks taken out of their breasts). They are despicable creatures.

Yea if it was hawks the would have came back for all the chickens if they thought it was a cheap meal and they dont leave a while mess as far as I know

 

[Pekin747]

Think like a predator, if it can go through over or under, they will. they know where the buffet is now. I agree, bring them in until you secure the coop.

Yea a good way to think about it


U also have to remember a lot of predators will come out at night after they think they found a good meal and they have many hours to go around the coop to find the best spot to attack

 

[Willowspirit]

A fairly new member from Iowa came looking for advice about what could be killing her hens and it turned out to be a Great Horned Owl.

 

[ChickenLadyInTheCoop]

Update: We secured the coop and my guy and gals just seem so much more at ease. Also caught a coon in the live trap. I wasn't convinced that he was the culprit (blame my soft heart for that). But Kyle doesn't believe in the "innocent until proven guilty" concept lol

 

[cmom]

It was probably the coons. Once they have found your flock and a way to get at them, they will keep coming back.

 

[ChickenLadyInTheCoop]

Yea if it was hawks the would have came back for all the chickens if they thought it was a cheap meal and they dont leave a while mess as far as I know

See they had multiple signs of multiple animal types.
Missing chickens and mess free = hawk?
Mangled chickens = coon?

There were some hawk sightings yesterday evening while the guys were plowing. Who knows? At least my babies are safe in their secured barn at night now.

 

[DuckWhisperer06]

How did you kill the first two coons? Did you kill the last one you caught in the live trap?

 

[cmom]

Since I put up some game cameras, I have been surprised at how many predators roam around on my property especially at night. Here we have mostly coyotes. The coyotes don't have anything that prey on them but they will prey on other predators they can catch such as bobcats and fox among others. A coyote last night behind some of the coops. I do have electric wire around my coops and pens.

 

[cmom]

How did you kill the first two coons? Did you kill the last one you caught in the live trap?

I know this question wasn't for me, but I shoot them. I used to use leg traps but since we have been having more people moving into our area I started using my live traps so if I catch a neighbors dog or cat, I can release it.
There are two traps one large and a hog/ coyote trap. The other smaller trap in hard to see in the left side of the picture.

 

[ChickenLadyInTheCoop]

How did you kill the first two coons? Did you kill the last one you caught in the live trap?

I shot the first 2 with a .22
I asked Kyle to spare the life of the one in the live trap.. He tried to release it down the road, but coonie was scared and being aggressive. So Kyle shot it. RIP Coonie