What is killing my hens?

[pnwoldie]

Not likely the cat killed a full grown hen. Since your second event happened in the daytime, I am guessing hawk. A redtail hawk walked into our covered run through the partially open gate and left a dead hen behind. Just ate the crop and part of the neck. I didn't see it happen but the reaction of the birds to a hawk screech the next day told me what I needed to know.

Also, it came back for a second dinner and dove through the netting. Chewed on a second hen and got caught because it couldn't get back out. See youtube.

Now we have chicken wire over the top

 

[theoldchick]

How much does the game cam cost? I got a set of live traps for $50. With the cam I am pretty sure I will still need to get the traps to catch the predator. Chasing down or shooting your oppossum can be done but I do not want to go out several times a night hoping to catch it visiting.

This particular game cam was $79.00 at Bass Pro Shop. I normally trap these guys. Raccoons, however, require an extra strong trap. Racoon jaws can rip apart store- brand traps. Cats who have been trapped and released will rarely ever go back in a trap. But always remember even though you get rid of one predator another will take its place. It's always best to fortify your coop.

 

[mama moo]

The chicken was full grown and a good layer.

 

[pnwoldie]

A full grown layer, improbable cats would kill it. Probably an aerial predator. It will be back.

 

[mama moo]

Would the rooster do this?

 

[Zoomie]

The rooster is a very unlikely culprit. Although roosters fight other roosters and can occasionally kill each other, it's a long protracted battle and you would definitely notice the fighting, and then you'd notice one of the combatants being exhausted etc. over a period of days. Roosters don't have teeth or razor sharp claws. If they kill something it would take a really long time.

For kills in the daytime I generally suspect: dogs, foxes, coyotes and raccoons (although coons are supposed to "only" hunt at night, I guess some of them don't read the book and don't know that). I've owned a cat that would kill fully grown chickens, so that is not totally impossible. It's just not real common. Possums also could have done it and been surprised into leaving the kill, then maybe the cats dragged out the dead body. Hard to say.

What type of wounds did you find on the body? Or had the cats eaten so much you could not tell? Were any body parts missing?

 

[mama moo]

By the time we got out there the cats had been eating it. But looked like to me the neck area was torn apart. I look out all the time and have never seen anything in the coop and this happened somewhere between 7 am and noon. It was in the corner of the coop and feathers there too. The top is open however the walls of the fencing are pretty hi. Cant afford a cam to put out there so I watch as much as I can. I just don't think it was the cats. However I had seen a young possum the wk before. I know it could be anything. Just puzzled.

 

[mama moo]

I have turned this into a full investigation. Was out in the coop yesterday and finished and began to walk away.. The rooster had another hen in that same corner on top o her. I was able to scare him off o her but since I have watched them a lot. Im thinking the rooster and we have had this same stuff happen with 2 other roosters we had. We got rid of them and this one may too be on his way out. I would just like to catch him doing it. One of the posts tho sounded like it could b that too. A hawk? Looked like only the head had been attacked and the craw. Im still watching them. Only have 3 hens left and think the rooster is not allowing them to get down from the roost. Had another rooster do the same and trapped them in and wouldn't let them out to eat.

 

[sourland]

Why not put the rooster in a separate pen ?

 

[mama moo]

The pen is one large area. We do not have another pen at this time. Or we would have. Just going to find someone who may want him. Seems he is stressing the hens out anyway.