What could this be?!

[crissyh]

Hi everyone I'm new here and looking for a bit of help. I have 7 turkeys that I keep out in a dog run, I've had them out there since probably May without one single issue. Yesterday morning I looked outside and saw 2 of my birds running around in the pasture so I went out to investigate and noticed something has made a "hole" in the side of the fencing. As you can see in the picture it seems like it tried to dig first. The fencing wire is literally bent and mangled (it was worse, I began trying to bend it back, then decided to take the pic) I live in northern Illinois it's driving me crazy what would be smart enough to find the only spot on the cage that sort of his a seam, unhook the fencing, and strong enough to bend and mangle it. The wire is really really stiff and was a complete struggle for me to manipulate. Thanks in advance!

 

[lisameow]

Hmm I dont even live in America so idk if it lives near you but i was thinking maybe a raccoon?

 

[CiceroXY]

I also don't live in America but let me ask you some questions:
The predator managed to make the hole in the side of the fencing but did not manage to enter, right? It's odd.
Did you have losses?
Did you find tracks on the ground?

 

[Howard E]

I'm going to suggest a dog. Option B would be a bear, but I doubt you have those in your area.

I would not have believed it possible, but we once had a neighbor who kept a German Shorthair Pointer in an outside kennel. The dog was pretty good sized and was terrified of thunderstorms. That dog would literally fight his way out of a chain link kennel, then broke through the overhead garage door and broke through the interior passage door from the garage into their house. He did that more than once. So after seeing what that dog could do opened my eyes as to their potential for damage.

So a large, determined dog could do that. What is missing is that part of the flock that did not escape the pen were not killed. So a bear might rip the fence apart to get at the feed, and not kill the birds.

 

[CiceroXY]

Yes, Initially I also figured that it was a dog. But If it was a large and hungry dog, at this time there would be no living birds inside the fenced area

Dogs usually kill everything in these situations, even if they are not hungry

 

[aart]

That IS really weird....they way the mesh is bent especially...and the fact that nothing got killed.

Do you have a game/trail cam?

 

[carlf]

I would say bear. and it gave up before it got in.
Or human...

 

[chickens really]

Looks like a bear to me also...If so? He will be back....Yikes!

Good luck!

 

[junebuggena]

Bear after feed.

 

[CiceroXY]

Looks like a bear to me also...If so? He will be back....Yikes!

Good luck!

I agree with you