What type of predator...?

[jaymejojos]

What type of predator would be able to do this to hardware cloth? Hawk? Raccoon?

 

[sourland]

No picture, but a hawk could not tear hardware cloth.

 

[jaymejojos]

Sorry some how it didn't get linked before - it's kinda hard to see but this damage is on both sides. This is a small A-frame run that we are using as a nursery coop/run. Fortunately on the chicks and their mamma are ok.

 

[bigoledude]

Might be a powerful large dog. I guess a coyote could also do damage like that? I can't imagine a coon or possum with enough strength to rip open hardware cloth. Certainly no bird/raptor has the strength to do this.

 

[mimsy]

My best guess would be a dog. One of my dogs went straight pants on head nuts and did something similar to get into the coop. To what end you ask? To eat the chicken food of course, completely trustworthy with the chickens. grrrrrr

 

[jaymejojos]

Why I suggested raptor is because is at the top of the A frame run. I doubt any dog would be able to get that high up on the side of it to do this kind of damage. I would say it was at eye level and I'm 5'5.
The bar at the top is the peak of the A frame

 

[aart]

I'd guess raccoon...maybe.
If HC is not attached so it's taut and flat and something can get a tooth in there, those welds are not that strong.

Was there any blood on it?
Did you lose any birds?
Were the missing pieces of wire laying on the ground?

Interesting that it looks like an entire length of wire is missing to the left of the main damage

 

[jaymejojos]

No blood, and it doesn't look like it made it all the way through. We have a broody hen and her chicks in this run/coop and they were all fine. I think the missing wire is just a trick of light - that part is all intact

 

[aart]

No blood, and it doesn't look like it made it all the way through. We have a broody hen and her chicks in this run/coop and they were all fine. I think the missing wire is just a trick of light - that part is all intact

Vertical wire between where 7th and what should be the 8th hole from the left....looks to be gone.

 

[millivanilli]

Do you have bear in your area? The bear have torn the nesting box right off the side of my coop, torn off the door i made to fix that, bent a wrought iron birdfeeder pole, bent a section of kennel fence, and splintered my deck railing. The state DEP reports all time high instances of bear attacking livestock incl chickens. They are pests!