What eats rats whole but leave heads? and will it attack my chickens?

[Mackie n chicks]

I live in Scotland UK, and recently new farm tenants next door yesterday burnt their field -there were a few rats in our garden yesterday because of this as I presume they were driven out of the field.
Problem is; as we were cleaning out the duck house we found 3 1/2 dead baby rats (one's body had been ate with no remains). There is only a small hole in the duck house which I presume where they came from. We put traps down last night to find a single rat head in one of the traps - again no body and no remains? I'm fearful it's either a rogue rat or even worse a ferret / weasel as the latter would definitely kill my chickens (which include small bantams) for fun. Has anyone got any opinions? Thanks.

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

Cats? Some cats will leave the head on mice/rats they eat. How easy is it to get into your duck house?

 

[Mackie n chicks]

The duck house was closed up due to rats from next door - as next door are ploughing fields so we're getting a few in. There was a small hole in the bottom that baby rats cold get in - didn't even think a large rat could get into it. A cat definitely couldn't get in there - it was all shut up.

 

[BBQJOE]

I live in Scotland UK, and recently new farm tenants next door yesterday burnt their field -there were a few rats in our garden yesterday because of this as I presume they were driven out of the field.
Problem is; as we were cleaning out the duck house we found 3 1/2 dead baby rats (one's body had been ate with no remains). There is only a small hole in the duck house which I presume where they came from. We put traps down last night to find a single rat head in one of the traps - again no body and no remains? I'm fearful it's either a rogue rat or even worse a ferret / weasel as the latter would definitely kill my chickens (which include small bantams) for fun. Has anyone got any opinions? Thanks.

I'm leaning towards cat. I used to have a cat that killed rabbits, and not only would he not eat he head, he would leave them lined up on my doorstep as presents.

 

[bigoledude]

Anything in the weasel family can squeeze through the most unbelievably small holes!! And, they are some rat killing machines.

 

[mimsy]

A full grown weasel can squeeze through a space smaller than a male rat can, oddly enough. I know a cage with 1" by 1/2" wire can hold most adult rat, but a weasel can go right through it like it's nothing. Had a friend who had one as a pet, it used to go through the ferret cages and harass her ferrets. Ferrets might be in the same family and larger but domestication has made them a whole lot more wimpy than a weasel.