What eats heads off of ducks and Chickens

[Rambo34k]

Trying to investigate my coop went out today let out my bird's didn't hear a sound when I open the door then soon as I walk inside I see nothing but Carnegie blood all over the walls of my coop one with the head ripped off laying next to her the other her just dead got a bite on the neck and my rooster covered in blood he's haven hard time can barely move I need help don't know what to do I've tried trap's nothing but a cat fr the last two nights found the same cat in both my trap's but where they entered my coop I don't think that cat could even fit

 

[BillyRoper]

I recently had a possum doing this. I blocked all the entrance openings I could find, and caught it in the act. I've also read that weasels and raccoons will eat the heads and leave the rest, too. Must be a delicacy.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I'm in New Hampshire.
We have lost some birds to hawks before, this is not a hawk attack.
Went right for the neck.

Thanks for the thoughts folks.

I have witnessed hawk attacks and in most cases the hawk begins feeding before the chicken is dead.

If you were dealing with a chicken killing possum i would expect to see the body cavity eviscerated.

 

[drumstick diva]

chicken wire only keeps chickens IN, does nothing to keep predators OUT. Hardware cloth is the way to go but muse me securely attached to framework - not with little plastic ties.

 

[ChickenGrass]

Could it be a mink?
I used to have hens for pets before I started breeding
And a mink got into the coop and tore all of their heads off.
The heads were scattered around the place.
Minks just kill to play with the animals.
They dont even eat them.

 

[ChickenGrass]

chicken wire only keeps chickens IN,   does nothing to keep predators OUT.      Hardware cloth is the way to go but muse me securely attached to framework  - not with little plastic ties.

Wow this is your 69,000 post
Congrats!!!

 

[BillyRoper]

It helps to know what varmints are native to your area. Here, possums and raccoons predominate. Not weasels or minks.

 

[Rambo34k]

Possum I do see but they intend to stay clear from my coop cause the trap's set in the area I got one in my trap this year a baby possum about 7-8 months old so I took him out from the trap took the possum in my house checked it for tick's,mites, and flees it did have mite's which your chicken's can get so then I gave the possum a nice bath to kill the mite's and it slept in my lap for a short time then I took him far away and released the little guy not all wild animals will hurt you in my line of experience I should know

 

[BillyRoper]

I didn't have the luxury of being so kind, since the last one I dispatched had killed at least two hens and was in the process of killing a third when I caught it in the hen house.

 

[DbleDub]

That's what was eating mine and I caught him last night. Made me mad because he would just eat the head and neck leaving all the meat to go bad. I told him we could have shaired when I slaughtered them but noooo. So I relocated him.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/702514/lost-a-duck-last-night-but-got-a-new-bird

"Relocated"