What Predator...?

[BigBlueHen53]

Well, it finally happened. Oh, um, moderately graphic. It's been several years since we've lost a bird to any predator, but apparently one has discovered us. My question is, what predator is small enough to fit through 2x4" welded wire fencing, (EDIT: I was wrong, this side of the yard is actually 4x4 cattle fencing. The other 3 sides are 2x4. I didn't realize this in the dusky light last night, sorry!) is about a foot tall, and strikes at twilight? This predator was unable to get the bird back through the fence. Please note that my question is not about coulda, woulda, shouldas. It's about identifying the predator. Does this sound like a fox or a raccoon to y'all, so we can make decisions about fencing going forward.

DH had gone out to lock up the birds when he saw that they had not put themselves away as they normally would have at this time of evening. Instead they were all clustered in the run as far as they could get from the coop, looking and acting agitated. He called me and we did a little investigating. He found some feathers but no body. On further investigation I found her. This had just happened minutes earlier, apparently. I won't go into detail.

So, help me out, experts. What do you think? The fence is about 4' high. A coyote couldn't get through it. A raccoon would have climbed. The bird is almost full grown, about 15 weeks old, a EE pullet. I'm thinking fox.

 

[DuckWhisperer06]

Okay but ... GRAPHIC.

Apparently we caught the culprit mid-crime. The body was lying on the near side of the fence, right up against it. It appeared to have been decapitated. I picked her up and realized she was still limp and warm, and as I moved her air came out of her lungs and she made a sound like a cross between a cluck and a long moan. I knew she was not alive, I have heard this sound from decapitated roosters before. Her neck was scalped of feathers but her head was still attached, though on the other side of the fence. The hole her head had gone through was bloody and had feathers on it, as though there had been quite a struggle. The bird did not fit through the opening as her wings would have prevented her going through.

As I said elsewhere, this is our second loss in three days. I have 23 birds left. I can borrow a shotgun if I have to.

Eta: I don't want to take a shotgun to a skunk! We didn't smell skunk. We also have possum in the area.

I guess I will sit outside in the run around roosting time to see what I can see and run "it" off, whatever "it" is. Rather discourage it than shoot it anyway. So far my poll is running 50-50 raccoon vs fox, with only two votes.
@Wyorp Rock , what do you think?
@Henriettamom919
@Shadrach opinions please? Who else?

Personally, I’d shoot any predators or animals that come on our property with intentions of harming my birds. That includes stray dogs, I just don’t tolerate it. They’ll get a warning with snake shot from a .22 but if they come back after that it’s hollows points (I’ve only had a few come around but didn’t come back after the first warning) The only animals that I won’t shoot, are skunks and hawks/falcons. Snakes in the garage (nonvenomous) will be left alone, but any in the coop are gone.
Like I’ve said in many other posts, I don’t like to just shoot and kill things, I’m protecting what’s mine.

 

[Shadrach]

I'm afraid I can't be of any help. The predators we have here are not the same. Even animals that go by the same name are different it seems. Badgers here for example are pretty cute while those in the US looking at pictures look pretty mean.
The short answer is 2" x 4" will let a lot of creatures in. Half inch weldmesh/hardware cloth is pretty much a standard recommendation for runs and coops.
Sorry to read you've lost a hen.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I guess I will sit outside in the run around roosting time to see what I can see and run "it" off, whatever "it" is. Rather discourage it than shoot it anyway. So far my poll is running 50-50 raccoon vs fox, with only two votes.
@Wyorp Rock , what do you think?
@Henriettamom919
@Shadrach opinions please? Who else?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

The fence is about 4' high.

My question is, what predator is small enough to fit through 2x4" welded wire fencing, is about a foot tall, and strikes at twilight? This predator was unable to get the bird back through the fence.

As I said elsewhere, this is our second loss in three days. I have 23 birds left. I can borrow a shotgun if I have to.

Eta: I don't want to take a shotgun to a skunk! We didn't smell skunk. We also have possum in the area.

I guess I will sit outside in the run around roosting time to see what I can see and run "it" off, whatever "it" is. Rather discourage it than shoot it anyway. So far my poll is running 50-50 raccoon vs fox, with only two votes.
@Wyorp Rock , what do you think?
@Henriettamom919
@Shadrach opinions please? Who else?

I think someone that traps all the time like @roosterhavoc or @OhZark Biddies would be better suited to answer your questions/give you suggestions.
Can you provide some photos of your set-up?

I'm very sorry to hear about your loss. I would not try to run it off, trap and dispatch it instead. My understanding is once it gets started, the critter is just going to return.

Do you have any covering on your fence? A 4' high fence...can you put up electric fencing to help provide an extra layer of defense? Not that it will stop everything, but it's a start. I can't say what got into your run, maybe a weasel? If you have a game camera, that would be a useful tool as well.

I do trap here and there, but I'm by no means that proficient at it. For the most part my runs are secure (nothing is bullet proof), but I also use electric fencing and set trap(s) occasionally to see if there's any takers.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Thanks everybody. As to all your suggestions:

1. No, we can't cover it, it's too big to be practical. Chicken yard is a good name for it. I can't give you the dimensions, but it used to be the garden.

2. If we had a game camera we would certainly know what we're up against. I was hoping the clues I gave would help ID what we have. Since we've not had a problem with predators before, we saw no need for a camera. We'll look into one if we can't resolve the issue in other ways.

3. I don't think electric wire is a practical solution either, although we will consider it. The challenge is that the other side of the fence is leased to someone who runs cattle on it, it's pasture grass that is allowed to grow head high and it's not practical for us to mow it. I also don't know if this might be a fire hazard.

I really appreciate the suggestions and support! We WILL find a solution!

 

[aart]

I don't know where you all live, but in my county there are many areas where an animal could be relocated to that would give it the same type environment without houses nearby with chickens and other small pets to worry about.

That's only a small part of the issue of relocation,
and the ranges of animals is probably larger than you think.


My view on relocation of chicken predators and/or nuisance animals.

It's really better to kill them...for many reasons.

-You've just introduced trap savvy pest/predator animals into someone else's 'backyard'.

-The spread of disease is a very real aspect and why it's illegal in many states to relocate trapped predator animals.

-Releasing an animal into another animals territory could well sign it's death warrant anyway, in case you were thinking of 'saving' the 'poor little creature'. Probably a worse death than a quick shot to the head or even a 'trashcan drowning'.

Since we've displaced their habitat (and more importantly their natural predators habitat) and fed them to overpopulation with our garbage (intentionally or not)...IMO, it is our duty to become the 'apex predator' and kill them when they become a problem to the extent that we need to trap them.

 

[OhZark Biddies]

Okay, BYC, we caught a skunk. What do I do now?

I’d just leave it in the trap and move one county over

If this skunk was a problem or you just don’t want skunks around, put it down... if it was an incidental catch ( which is more likely ) and you don’t mind a skunk around, you could carefully throw a blanket over the trap and then more carefully open the trap and turn it out...

If you search this forum or do a google search you’ll find more skunk info that describes handling a skunk in a trap in better detail.

Pro tip:
Fake a knee injury and make your husband do the skunk wrangling, if he gets sprayed lock the door and remember there are lots of fish in the sea

 

[OhZark Biddies]

Often what happens is the chicken eater harasses the chickens and they run into a corner or against the run in a group, and then that chicken eater runs around and reaches through and grabs the chicken and tries to pull it through…

So it might not have actually gotten through the 2x4 wire... does that sound plausible in your case?

 

[DuckWhisperer06]

I’ve heard that raccoons will pull a chickens head through the fence and chew heads off. If she didn’t have a head it could be a coon.