What predator only decapitates, doesn't eat

[WalkingOnSunshine]

I've also heard that decapitation is a strong indicator of weasels, and that they can get in through quite small holes. Luckily we've been spared a weasel attack, and they don't seem to be in our immediate area, but I did try to plug all the 1" gaps. However, the upper parts of our coop are 2x4" mesh. Does anyone know whether weasels can climb fences or chicken wire?

Weasels can climb, and dig, and go right through chicken wire. If you share space with a weasel population, you must use hardware cloth with holes that are less than 1" x 1".

You can catch a weasel in a trap if you're canny and bait with the carcass of the chicken they killed. Just beware, when you have one in a trap, they have a very stinky musk that is very hard to wash off. We shoot it while it's in the trap.

 

[dungheap71]

We have mink around here. They are notorious for biting the heads off and drinking blood, leaving head and carcass in the coop. I had what I think is a mink get into mine under the run fence, leaving head and carcasses in the coop. All the hens were gone, one came back after a few hours the morning it happened.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

We have mink around here. They are notorious for biting the heads off and drinking blood, leaving head and carcass in the coop. I had what I think is a mink get into mine under the run fence, leaving head and carcasses in the coop. All the hens were gone, one came back after a few hours the morning it happened.

Exactly. Mink and weasel are related and both have this behavior, so it could be either based on where the OP lives, I think.

 

[ShakeragSusan]

Perhaps, but I feel strongly that it must have been a fox who was interrupted before he finished. Especially since I saw a fox 20 feet from my chicken in broad daylight.

Big traps at Rural King are $75 and up. Guess that will be my next purchase. . .

 

[kynewbchickie]

Weasels are listed as some of the worst-case predators because they go on a frenzy, decapitate and pull feathers of any they can get a hold of. Owls and hawks are bad for decapitating the birds right after they get a hold of them, and then dropping the remaining carcass especially if it's a full-size breed and fully grown.

I suggest 1/2"x1/2" hardware cloth, T50 1/2" staples (along with wide-head screws to secure the corners and middles of the cloth for good measure against coons) and using fishing line across the top of the run if it's not already covered and tacked down well. The fishing line is invisible to hawks and owls, but believe me they hate flying into it when they're in a full dive for one of your birds. They'll hit the line and freak out. I'll be doing that myself before too long, as I've already caught 2 red-tailed hawks (which are protected no matter what) circling the pasture during the day. We coop ours at night behind 2 locked chicken doors and one big locked door (by key only) and we've heard the owls at night out here.

Best predator defense is thinking like a predator as you go around your coop and pasture/run...find every weakness against digging, intelligent break-ins (coons will pull out staples!), and small openings.

 

[ShakeragSusan]

We have a secure hen house where everyone is locked up at night. All the widows are made of hardware cloth, good latches, etc. The flock normally free ranges, but I have been afraid to since this happened. There is not much point in having chickens and guineas to eat ticks if they aren't allowed out. :-(

I really don't think we have weasels around here. I have never seen one run over or heard of anyone having predator problems with one. Mom and Dad have both been life long observers of nature. Dad even worked in the woods for 40 years. Neither of them can remember ever hearing of any weasels around here. I have heard stories from old timers about "painters" in the county south of here, but that has been 60+ years. We could have chipmunks in the county, but they just aren't here. Don't know why. They are in nearby counties.

 

[kynewbchickie]

We have a secure hen house where everyone is locked up at night. All the widows are made of hardware cloth, good latches, etc. The flock normally free ranges, but I have been afraid to since this happened. There is not much point in having chickens and guineas to eat ticks if they aren't allowed out. :-(

I really don't think we have weasels around here. I have never seen one run over or heard of anyone having predator problems with one. Mom and Dad have both been life long observers of nature. Dad even worked in the woods for 40 years. Neither of them can remember ever hearing of any weasels around here. I have heard stories from old timers about "painters" in the county south of here, but that has been 60+ years. We could have chipmunks in the county, but they just aren't here. Don't know why. They are in nearby counties.

I agree - I've never heard of weasels being in our neck of Kentucky, either. My biggest worry lately is the report about 3 miles from our house where a juvenile black bear carcass was found in shreds, 28 feet up in a tree. Fish & Wildlife said it was a "possible" mountain lion attack but haven't released anymore details or conclusions about it.

I'm also in the same boat with you about the point of keeping free-range poultry...hard to let them free-range and do their jobs, eat a naturally-varied diet if they're cooped up all the time for fear they'll get attacked. We've got ours in a 32x44' pasture for the time being, as they're still only 8-weekers...once they get grown, I'll probably just put mesh up around the entire backyard (about 1.75 acres total in itself) along the already finished livestock fence. We have electric fence run around that entire perimeter, but since we have an area that was torn up due to a storm (and our dog made it worse by chewing and dragging the wire further off the posts, lol), we've got no electric fence protection. I've got to rectify that, and I'm planning on adding a semi-buried line just inside the fence boundaries, underground, for diggers. I'm going with the solar-powered model they sell at TSC; I've heard nothing but good things about it, and I'd rather not have that added expense on our electric bill.

 

[ShakeragSusan]

I agree - I've never heard of weasels being in our neck of Kentucky, either. My biggest worry lately is the report about 3 miles from our house where a juvenile black bear carcass was found in shreds, 28 feet up in a tree. Fish & Wildlife said it was a "possible" mountain lion attack but haven't released anymore details or conclusions about it.

I am thankful we don't have bears or mountain lions (!!!) in our area. That could be scary! I was terrified the first time I heard a bobcat scream! Ha! And I grew up 500 feet from where I live now!
I knew they made a blood-curdling scream, but had never heard it until I had my own place out here. I can see why some folks would think a woman was being murdered.

 

[kynewbchickie]

Quote:
You've got that right. We hear bobcat all the time. My favorite sound of all night-time critters is the owls. I love to hear them soaring through the valley at night, calling out to one another. It helps to know my birds are secured in their coops before I hear that sound....I can enjoy it rather than worry.

 

[chickenboy100]

I would say it's a weasel, we have had that problem a few times.