What likely got my bird?

[Bhaf]

I am so sorry that you lost your special girl, Ethyl Murtz; .It must have been horrifying to see it on camera.

I constantly am on guard for predators. I regularly hear coyotes at night but had a recent daylight visit from one, have lost birds to a mink and know the surrounding fields host a variety of creatures that would gladly eat my chickens, ducks and geese.

When I only had a flock of four (many, many birds ago), they lived in a coop with an attached run. That's when I learned how useless chicken wire is when it comes to protecting chickens. Also, the run didn't give the girls a lot of opportunity for exploration.

I found a used chicken tractor on Craigslist that let them experience more of the world. It was a DIY proejct, for sure, made sturdy with lumber and chicken wire. When I got it, we wrapped the whole thing in hardware cloth to make it safer from predators.

It was heavy enough that it was hard, but not impossible, to move around so the girls could peck at fresh grass and new bugs. Built with 2-by-4's and a few 4-by-4's, the tractor has been converted into a shelter for my ducks, who sleep safely every night.

All of my coops now have attached runs that include hardware cloth aprons around the bottom so nothing digs in. And the coop doors have safety hooks and multiple latches so raccoons don't open them.

Hope you find a way to keep the rest of your flock safe and happy. Take care.

Thank you, that is a good idea. I will for sure look into making a chicken tractor!

 

[Christie1980]

I've had an older hen doing poorly for several weeks, with the inevitable end. She apparently didn't make it back to the coop last night (wasn't at coop count). She'd been spending more time hiding in corners of the yard, which is pretty hard to see at night.

So I looked this morning and found her underneath a tree, at least her main body.

Her head and neck were eaten to bone. Her wings were pulled off and bare scapula with attached wing were found several paces away. Her main body was cored out like a chicken prepared for stuffing for turkey dinner....completely eviscerated. One of her feet was pulled off and several paces away. Of course, a pile of feathers.

I'm pretty sure she had succumbed sometime yesterday and this was her final resting spot, which is why she wasn't in check in at coop last night on lock up.

But, what on earth tore her apart limb from limb totally eviscerating her? I know I have hawks (day time kills...head and neck and some breast), raccoons (generally head and neck, some breast body in tact), oppossum and skunk (my egg eater). Coyote have been seen in the area but I've no knowledge one has made it onto my property (although my neighbor saw one scaling her fence).

Everyone is locked up tight for the night. I'm just wondering what fresh hell is this coming my way. Would coons do that? Could they?

Thanks for the insight

Definitely a coyote. We seen that multiple times with our hens here i. AZ. They leave the carcass completely cleaned out, legs usually a bit away, & wings completely torn off. Head also torn off the body. Seems they go for the guys. Awful!