What killed my chickens?

Barnas Barnyrd

Hatching
6 Years
May 2, 2013
9
0
7
I lost 10 chickens. Some were neatly laid together while others were not too far away. They were all in a fenced pen. Most had just 1 puncture wound on their backs right under the wing. 1 didn't have any punctures. There was no blood because all punctures were facing up. No part of any chicken was eaten and there were no piles of feathers anywhere and none were missing. I do have pictures.
 
They were in fenced pen. I live in Southeastern Pennsylvania. We do have foxes, raccoons, opossums, etc. We have lost a few in the past to a fox. The fox carried away the chickens and left nothing but a bunch of feathers. None of them were eaten in any way. Here is a picture of a group. These were all Delaware and weighed about 7 - 8 pounds each. Other picture is Australorp. The Australorp didn't have any punctures as all.

 
Unfortunately, I have seen that before, and I'm pretty sure it was a weasel..mink, marten, whatever weael-ish critter you have over there. They are notorious blood sucking little stinkers :(

They can't drag away the carcass, so they make a puncture mark, usually back of neck or head, and drink the blood and leave the bodies. A coon will try to take them with them and will also eat heads and tender vittles, and a fox woukd most likely eat at least one bird and try to stash the rest.

We've had problems with losing ducks to coons, foxes, and weasels, and by far the weasel did the most damage. Came through an inch wide opening in the duck hut and killed 13 ducks in one night(my mallard hen and 12 ducklings!) came back and got 7 more(my runners) the next night before we found the hole :(

I don't keep ducks anymore, needless to say. The chickens house is very well protected but the duck hut had that stupid tiny gap....

The coon would get one or two but leave the rest alive, and the fox got 2 out of the yard by the creek.

I HATE weasels; by far the sneakiest and worst predator I've ever had to deal with. :(
 
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Hi, welcome to BYC!
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I am sorry for your loss! I know dogs will leave their kills, but that just looks to clean to be a dog. Sounds like others with more predator experience have made good suggestions.

Did this happen during the day?
 
Unfortunately, I have seen that before, and I'm pretty sure it was a weasel..mink, marten, whatever weael-ish critter you have over there. They are notorious blood sucking little stinkers
sad.png


They can't drag away the carcass, so they make a puncture mark, usually back of neck or head, and drink the blood and leave the bodies. A coon will try to take them with them and will also eat heads and tender vittles, and a fox woukd most likely eat at least one bird and try to stash the rest.

We've had problems with losing ducks to coons, foxes, and weasels, and by far the weasel did the most damage. Came through an inch wide opening in the duck hut and killed 13 ducks in one night(my mallard hen and 12 ducklings!) came back and got 7 more(my runners) the next night before we found the hole
sad.png


I don't keep ducks anymore, needless to say. The chickens house is very well protected but the duck hut had that stupid tiny gap....

The coon would get one or two but leave the rest alive, and the fox got 2 out of the yard by the creek.

I HATE weasels; by far the sneakiest and worst predator I've ever had to deal with.
sad.png

I second this vote.......multiple kills left stacked or piled up are a telltale sign of a member of the weasel family. River otters are related and will do that to all the fish in a pond.......they just catch and kill them, toss them up on the bank and go back for more.
 

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