A couple days ago I got home,a board from my run was pulled out of place and all my chickens were out. As I was catching them all I found one dead under a tree. Her neck was all chewed up and her chest was ripped open. There were feathers everywhere and no blood. For the most part she was intact. I fixed the run and put my chickens back in the coop. A couple days later I came home to another chicken in the same condition this time inside the fully inclosed run. She was ok this morning befor school and it must be something small that can fit threw holes in the fencing or something with wings. What can I do to get rid of whatever this is. Thank you
A weasel will get thru a pretty small hole, but won't pull boards off. A raccoon WILL pull off boards OR go over the top.
What Killed Your Chicken? Dog: Several birds killed; mauled but not eaten Mink or Weasel: Several birds killed; lots of small bites on body, bodies neatly piled, some heads eaten Raccoon: Several birds killed; heads and crops eaten Opossum: One or two birds killed; mauled, abdomen eaten Hawk: One bird killed; head eaten Humans: Several birds disappeared, no trace Raccoon: Missing limbs, birds inside fence Fox: One or more birds dead / missing; no more than one removed; pile of feathers; those not removed with broken necks, clumps of feathers taken from neck Skunk: Chicks killed; abdomen eaten, lingering smell
Sounds like a raccoon. Try getting a radio and playing it out there. That will work for awhile. They hear voices they stay away.
Not sure how/if weasels will venture into traps - live traps or leg-holds - but I would sure try trapping whatever it is. If it think your place is his local KFC, he'll be back. Good luck to you!
I have done this in our old barn to keep skunks away. seems to work. I am now having an issue with a weasel, seemed to have gone from my neighbors coop on Tuesday to my place on Wed & I now have 9 dead hens & 2 were killed during the day & DH saw it trying to pull 1 into its hole, under 1 of the coops & it has now moved to under another coop. so far it has not taken fresh meat in the trap. I have liver & chicken.
Neighbors hen was found missing her head, back stripped of skin and feathers, and neck ripped open...we live in Northern Ca., they say they smelled a skunk a few days ago, we also have a creek nearby, and have Hawks, Coyotes, Owls and of course household dogs, also we are in a rural area. They brought their hen over and asked what could be the murderer, so I offered to ask the experts.
