What Predator...?

[BigBlueHen53]

Sigh. You're right, @DuckWhisperer06 .

 

[Fishsticks06]

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.

Skunks aren’t the type to take down large fowl, they go for the eggs. If it’s neck is how you described, it could be the possum. Especially if it has kits to feed, your coop will be it’s hotspot.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

@Shadrach the problem is it's an old fence, with vegetation, even trees growing up around and even through it. This ain't gonna be an easy fix.

 

[Shadrach]

@Shadrach the problem is it's an old fence, with vegetation, even trees growing up around and even through it. This ain't gonna be an easy fix.

If you were withing easy traveling I would come and do the job for you. Missouri is a long walk from here, especially carrying all my tools.
Whatever it is, the chances are very high that it will be back if it was successful once.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Thanks, Shad. Your tribes would miss you! I think the elimination solution is going to serve us best. Dagnabbit,* we have not lost a hen in three or four years, and in 8 years have probably lost only 3 to ground predators ... we lost a couple of hatchlings to hawks last year but there's not much one can do about that. Thanks for your support.

*forgive my strong language, I don't often swear, but this just makes me mad and frustrated and sad.

 

[DuckWhisperer06]

Thanks, Shad. Your tribes would miss you! I think the elimination solution is going to serve us best. Dagnabbit,* we have not lost a hen in three or four years, and in 8 years have probably lost only 3 to ground predators ... we lost a couple of hatchlings to hawks last year but there's not much one can do about that. Thanks for your support.

*forgive my strong language, I don't often swear, but this just makes me mad and frustrated and sad.

I understand how hard it is to lose birds. I suggest putting a game camera up so you can catch him in the act, he’ll most likely be back. That will help tell you what you’re up against.

Coyotes have been a big problem where we live, nothing but cornfield/cotton fields. They’ve gotten two of our ducks, and had come back every night for about 4 months. They would come back every morning at about 2:00-2:30. My dad had worked early shift then so he was getting ready for work around then. He would hear the dogs barking (at the coyotes), grab the gun and go outside. I don’t think he ever fired at them, but he saw them multiple times. He would drive off at about 4:30-5:00 and the coyotes would start coming around at 5:30. Since my dad wasn’t home, I’d go out a few times, never got close enough to fire, but one of our neighbors buddies came one afternoon and took one down. They still come around every now and then, but not as often as they used to. Problem is, they’re probably raising pups right now.

What I’m trying to say is, whatever predator it is, will probably establish a pattern. He’ll find a time when it’s perfect to come around, and continue to come around at that time.

 

[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.

 

[OhZark Biddies]

@OhZark Biddies
it's a fairly enormous run ...he would have to run a quarter of a mile ...

Ahhh okay, so I’d call that a chicken “yard” rather than a chicken “run”....

So my brother had a very similar set up years ago... he had 4ft high 2x4 wire enclosing about an acre...

I’d say about the only practical solution to that kind of set up is to do as he did and keep a guardian dog in with the birds...

or I suppose you might run electric wire around the perimeter to keep the four legged critters away and provide some “hides” in the run to give the chickens some protection from hawks

or do a great deal of chicken eater removal by employing traps.

As for your original question about IDing the chicken eater... with a large chicken yard like yours it probably makes little difference...

Gray fox, red fox and raccoon would be the most likely suspects and they can all get past a 4 ft fence, either by digging or climbing... but of course there are several other critters in our area that could be the culprit, or could show up next...

but if you’re still wanting to know what it is, you might put up a couple of trail cameras to monitor the chicken yard

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

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?

It really sounds like a raccoon to me.

 

[cmom]

If you have a game camera, I would put it up. What ever it was, I'm sure it will be back.