What just eats the heads?

[marcym]

Lost a 5 week old BR yesterday. Her head was gone, and there was no blood to be seen. All other birds and eggs appeared to be fine. Last fall, the same thing happened to a two day old goat kid. Need to figure what it is so we can figure how to stop it. Possum? Coon? Rat? Anything else I'm forgetting about?

 

[SmartyChick]

The same think happened to my Gracie Grace. I have a feeling it was a bird of prey.

 

[bumblebeehillschickenfarm]

Sounds like a large owl. I have had the same thing happen to me and i can sometimes see him at dusk.

 

[whytedragon]

Will owls go after adult ducks, like Pekins?

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

It was an owl. Good luck with that!

 

[barred-rocks-rock]

Raccoons just take heads

 

[bruiserbruce]

My experience has been if it is discovered first thing in the morning, in other words it happen during the night, it was probably an owl. I had two guineas I called dumb and dumber that would not come in to roost for the night One then the other, I found them laying in the yard next morning minus the head. Would not have thought an owl would go after young goat though?

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
It's not likely an owl would eat a goat, though I have no idea how big a two day old goat is.
If the chicken was eaten through a fence it might have been a fox or racoon. Not sure a racoon would take on a baby goat though.
Had a coon get in the coop and it was working on the head end as I recall. Beat the coon but did not examine the bird when I disposed of it. I was too upset.

Did a google search and came up with Foxes and weasels. Still not sure what part of the goat got eaten.

 

[bobbi-j]

You might be looking at two different predators. It sounds like an owl got your chicken. Not sure about the goat.

 

[marcym]

Both animals were found in the morning. Both were missing the head only and didn't look very chewed up. The chicken was in the coop.