What killed my pigeons?

[jak2002003]

I am devastated. Today I went to feed and water my pigeons and bantam chickens which all share the same huge coop.

I was heartbroken to see 4 of my pigeons dead on the coop floor.

They had been neatly lined up.... each one had most of its tail missing.. and the feathers from around their vent area. They seem to have had their necks broken.. but it was hard to tell as they were stiff by the time I found them.

They were sticky and damp all over.. with them looking almost like they had drowned.

I could find no wounds or teeth marks on them.. but one had small amounts of blood on its wings.

Any ideas what animal did this?

I searched all around the coop.. which is build on a brick and cement base. Nothing dug in under the bricks... the wire mesh and frame is all perfect and not pulled or chewed through. There are small gaps.. that the pigeons can't fit through around some of the roof area.. that have been there for 4 moths since the coop was built... so I am thinking some small animal did this by getting in climbing up the sides.

I am in Thailand... I am guessing a python or a mongoose? But why not eat the pigeons and why not attack the bantam chicken or the nesting pigeons.. which are literally sitting targets.

I am sure this animals will come back. I have to go to work tomorrow and I am so frightened that when I get home more will be killed.

One was my much loved pet... which I hand raised from a squab. He was unique.. with one black eye and one orange one. I am very upset that out of all the birds he had to be one of them.

The others were some very expensive show quality Old Dutch Capuchins and a young fantail.

 

[sourland]

"Sticky or damp all over" sounds as if they were killed by a snake that was not large enough to swallow them. Good luck in protecting the ret of your birds. Whatever it was will most likely return - be prepared.

 

[jak2002003]

I looked over the entire coop... There is no way any dog or cat could get in... or any kind of owl. I have metal fine mesh all over the coop... only a few gaps high up.

I think a python could have squeezed into the coop that way.

I am guessing it ate all 4 pigeons.. then it could not fit back out through the narrow gaps.

In the daytime I think my roosters and chickens would have been harassing the snake.. I am sure they would be jumping on it and pecking it.

I think then the snakes regurgitated up the pigeons with the stress and then squeezed back out again.

I actually have a small pet corn snake. I know if they get handled too much or molested by something they will regurgitate their meal as some kind of defence thing.

I am going back to the coop later this afternoon with more fine wire to cover up al the holes.

I hope no more have been killed. If more are killed after my fixing up the coop I will move the rest out to separate metal cages at my house until I can get the coop really secure.

 

[jak2002003]

I was wrong about the snake!

I went back today to find another 3 dead pigeons and one chickens.

Also... in the coop...... a mongoose!

It was frantically trying to get out as I approached, then ran up the wire and through a really small hole that it had made by pulling the wire mesh from the wooden post about half way up the back wall.

There is no way I am going to be able to keep this thing out. I am going to have to move all my birds to my house and keep them in cages... much to my partners annoyance.. and its a blow to me.. I as its going to mean an lot of work feeding / watering and cleaning so many cages, and I hate seeing my pigeons cooped up and not able to free fly.

I was going to buy a live animal trap and them take the mongoose to the jungle to release it. But I worry it might have young and I hate the thought of them staving to death. I am a softy when it come to all animals. Also I am sure if there is one of them in the area there are going to be many others.......

I noticed its got a nasty way of killing the birds. I examined the bodies.. it basically strangles them in a death bite to the neck. Then it does not even eat the bird.. but I think it sucks out the birds blood... like a vampire!!!! That is why I could not find any blood on the birds bodies.

Its so depressing.. it got several of my best birds.. expensive and also much loved. It took me several years to find my kind of fancy pigeons here.. and I don't know if I will be able to get anymore in the future. So frustrating. Its at times like this.. after all my work and careful breeding and caring for my pets.. that I am thinking about just selling the ones I have left and giving up.

 

[jak2002003]

Here is what they used to look like.