I live in Northumberland, UK if that matters.
I got up this morning to feed the chickens and there were feathers all over my garden. I figured 'Oh god, something got one of the chickens'. It's unpleasant, but part of keeping chickens.
Then it got weird.
So there's feathers from one chicken. The momma who has the 3 chicks. But no feathers from the rest. The weird bit is the entire flock is gone. No-one remains. No bodies, no blood, no nothing. I have 6ft fences in my back garden with wire at the bottom. No neighbouring properties have feathers in their gardens, there are no holes. These were adult buff orpingtons so birds of prey are out I'm assuming (they could kill em, but not carry em off), and I don't think a fox could get a whole flock of chickens over a 6ft fence?
As if that wasn't enough - one of my ducks was beheaded. Just one. In its predator-proof cage where two other ducks are still fine. Traumatised, but fine. I would assume if something like a fox got in it would kill all the ducks? And why is the body in the middle of the cage with little blood? I would assume that beheading a live, struggling duck would at least made things a bit bloody.
Also, would a fox or similar come on my property where I have two GSDs with the flock for most of the day?
It was all so weird that I had the police round to look incase they were stolen, but they said that the only real thing they could do was log it and keep an eye on the For Sale pages to see if any were being sold. They also warned me not to shoot into the dark if I hear something happening tonight to the remaining two ducks, just incase its people. Apparently you're not allowed to just go round shooting burglars :/ But apart from that they said to put up some CCTV and hope it doesn't happen again.
I'm just so frustrated because everything was locked, the ducks were inside a steel dog cage and the chickens inside a locked coop. I would be upset if there was bodies but then at least I'd know what had happened, but it's not knowing that's frustrating.
Any ideas?
So far I'm thinking Acrobatic Fox or Werewolves
Breaking this to my 5 year old is gonna suck when she gets home from school....
I got up this morning to feed the chickens and there were feathers all over my garden. I figured 'Oh god, something got one of the chickens'. It's unpleasant, but part of keeping chickens.
Then it got weird.
So there's feathers from one chicken. The momma who has the 3 chicks. But no feathers from the rest. The weird bit is the entire flock is gone. No-one remains. No bodies, no blood, no nothing. I have 6ft fences in my back garden with wire at the bottom. No neighbouring properties have feathers in their gardens, there are no holes. These were adult buff orpingtons so birds of prey are out I'm assuming (they could kill em, but not carry em off), and I don't think a fox could get a whole flock of chickens over a 6ft fence?
As if that wasn't enough - one of my ducks was beheaded. Just one. In its predator-proof cage where two other ducks are still fine. Traumatised, but fine. I would assume if something like a fox got in it would kill all the ducks? And why is the body in the middle of the cage with little blood? I would assume that beheading a live, struggling duck would at least made things a bit bloody.
Also, would a fox or similar come on my property where I have two GSDs with the flock for most of the day?
It was all so weird that I had the police round to look incase they were stolen, but they said that the only real thing they could do was log it and keep an eye on the For Sale pages to see if any were being sold. They also warned me not to shoot into the dark if I hear something happening tonight to the remaining two ducks, just incase its people. Apparently you're not allowed to just go round shooting burglars :/ But apart from that they said to put up some CCTV and hope it doesn't happen again.
I'm just so frustrated because everything was locked, the ducks were inside a steel dog cage and the chickens inside a locked coop. I would be upset if there was bodies but then at least I'd know what had happened, but it's not knowing that's frustrating.
Any ideas?
So far I'm thinking Acrobatic Fox or Werewolves
Breaking this to my 5 year old is gonna suck when she gets home from school....
Do you have raccoons? I appears that it could have been a coon. Do you have a trail/game camera. There is a good chance that whatever it was, will be back and then you can get a picture of the predator.
