What killed my chicken?

[Robbie]

Last May I became a chicken owner when I successfully hatched two silkie chicks with my third grade class. In July I increased my flock to six with the addition of four mail ordered silkie chicks. While I was raising the chicks indoors and after I moved my wonderful pets outside to their new home I constantly read information on this site. I read everything I could on preditor proofing and I thought I had made my pen as sound as Fort Knox. This morning my nine year-old came running to me as I was about to leave for school. Something had gotten into the pen during the night and had eaten the head off of one of the younger chickens. He was devistated. There were no holes dug under the fence (wire is underneath). The chicken was found underneath the chicken coop. What preditor could have done this? I really need your help. You guys all know what I'm talking about. These pets are like family.

 

[Cuban Longtails]

I've seen that happen around here, to a friend of mine's chickens. He kept saying it was probably a mink, but I'm doubtful of that one.

A quick search of the 'net and it shows birds of prey and raccoons to be the culprit of missing heads.

All they need is for the chicken to poke it's head through the wire mesh of it's coop.

 

[Rooster01]

Probably a raccoon. I've had them just eat the heads off several hens and kill the rest.

 

[SpottedCrow]

Raccoon...
Their MO is to take heads.
I lost my EE Tom from a raccoon attack.
Raccoons can climb really well especially when there's a PO'd heartbroken chicken momma chasing them up the tree.
Sorry for your loss.

 

[Lilychick]

This happened to us back in June. Everyone around here said Racoon. I think this one stuck his little head out of the hole in the cage he was in. The other two were fine. I'm so sorry your son had to find it.

 

[Robbie]

Thanks for all your replies. The only thing that puzzles me about the racoon is that I put chicken wire around the bottom 2 ft. of the pen just as many on this site suggested so that their little heads couldn't fit through. I really don't think that we have mink here in West Tennessee and wouldn't one leave a lingering odor like a skunk? Tonight I will put all the chickens safely in my garage and put flour around the perimeter of the pen and an open can of tuna inside the pen as I read about once before on this site. Again, thanks for the help. When going to war it's best to know who the enemy is!

 

[TxChiknRanchers]

Quote:
Sorry, but chicks heads will stick through 1"chicken wire. mine do it all the time. You have to go to 1/2 " hardwarecloth to stop the head through the wire thing.

 

[rooster-red]

Coons and possums can climb right over your fence. and if there is a tree with overhanging branches near your pen they will climb it and drop in off the branch.

 

[Robbie]

My pen is one of those dog pens from Tractor Supply Company and my dad built me a wooden roof on top of it. I don't see anything coming in from the top. I guess I messed up thinking that the chicken wire was small enough. Silkies are so small anyway . . .

 

[SpottedCrow]

That's how we learn sometimes...chicken wire is good for keeping chickens in, but nothing else out.