What Predator is doing this? GRAPHIC PICs of bird plus pen.

[marathonmultiplesmom]

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That's wild! I didn't know that. I will have to research those critters.

 

[chickensioux]

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I agree with this too. The tiniest fleck of poison could be found by the chicks as well.

 

[Sissy]

I would be a little cautious about using Poison.

 

[deerman]

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Yes, they were all this way. This one had the smallest wound. The others were completely hollowed out with no guts left. The others had a hole the size of a quarter right at the vent.
If it is the other chicks, how do I prevent this? They have more room than the last hatch of black australorps because there are less of them this time around. They never ran out of food or water.

You could put bits in their beaks, that will keep them from pecking the other chicks, still able to eat fine..

Many thing can start one pecking, broken blood feather, chicks like to peck at any thing red(reason for red feeders) plus the vent would be red, if bare of feathers....Once one find the blood, they will not stop.

This happen alot with ringneck pheasants, same thing eat the other chick insides out.........

 

[fancbrd4me02]

Here are some good rat links:

http://members.madasafish.com/~cj_whitehound/Rats_Nest/Norway_Rats/Wild.htm



http://www.ratbehavior.org/rats.html - This site has everything you ever wanted to know about rats. It's really important to understand the natural behavior of animals in your area. Understanding them is the first step to knowing how to avoid predator problems.

You might want to put up an owl house, I have one and our owls do help with the rodent population. You cannot poison when you have owls, it's one of the reasons I get annoyed with my neighbors who poison, inadvertdly they are poisoning my owl helpers.
Here's a link: Having trouble, I will try again and post the link. In the meantime, check out "Molly the Owl".

Here is the owl house plans: http://www.carolinaraptorcenter.org/owl_box.php

 

[horsejody]

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That's what I was thinking.

 

[theFox]

Weasel or another member of the weasel family.

 

[gjpaddles]

Possums bite and suck the back side of the chickens and suck out the internals of the chickens thru the rear end. I would re-wire your coop and any opening with 1/2 inch netting. Sorry for your loss, what a horrible way to start the day. Good luck catching whatever it is. But I vote possum

 

[oldchickenman]

we have fond some of are feerange chickens like this. my budy came over late one night pulled behind are brodder shed and found a barn owl with a chicken he had riped the head off and started eating it when he sacred it up. heck just one more preadator to worry about.

 

[marathonmultiplesmom]

Whatever it is has not struck again. Its a mystery to me but I am going out more often and earlier and later at night... shotgun in tow. Glad it stopped, whatever it is... hopefully a bigger predator ate my predator. I doubt that it was the chicks because I inspect them every day for signs of cannibalism. But I wouldn't be surprised to find rats. When I opened the barn door I heard squeeking that I assumed was chipmunks but maybe rats. I have never seen rats but we ALWAYS have mice.