We have a small hobby farm on 20 acres. I've got about 1.5 acres fenced with goat fencing. Goats, a donkey, and two pigs in there. The fencing ties into the barn where the coop is which has a sliding door. About 50 chickens free ranging. Rural Missouri.
Past week:
9 missing Guinea keets
1 missing guinea
Both wings and spine of a guinea left about 20 feet from the barn
Adult bantam remains - both legs in the coop and a wing outside the coop (door was left open just a single night)
Cat has been missing for three days which has never happened
A duck in a large dog run had a few puncture wounds but was alive
Last month:
Before the barn was built, something (raccoon I assume) reached into the run and ripped apart a few chickens
Coyotes everywhere around us. Our Pryaneese roams.
I'm assuming an owl or hawk injured the duckling but dropped it when trying to leave the dog run.
Whatever came into the chicken coop to rip apart that chicken literally had to walk past 15 Nigerians and a donkey. They sleep within inches of the chicken coop door. I also have a few very small Nigerian kids out too, maybe 5lbs each.
What do you all think I've got going on?
There's an overgrowth of brush in the center of the pen I built. Goats havnt cleared it up yet. I have a suspicion there's a fox living in there but I havnt had time to get equipment out there to clear it. I've out a few shells of 3" buckshot in there when I thought I saw eyes. Tonight I'm lighting a few 1/4 sticks of dynamite and throwing it in there. Kinda pissing me off if you can't tell.
Thanks!
Past week:
9 missing Guinea keets
1 missing guinea
Both wings and spine of a guinea left about 20 feet from the barn
Adult bantam remains - both legs in the coop and a wing outside the coop (door was left open just a single night)
Cat has been missing for three days which has never happened
A duck in a large dog run had a few puncture wounds but was alive
Last month:
Before the barn was built, something (raccoon I assume) reached into the run and ripped apart a few chickens
Coyotes everywhere around us. Our Pryaneese roams.
I'm assuming an owl or hawk injured the duckling but dropped it when trying to leave the dog run.
Whatever came into the chicken coop to rip apart that chicken literally had to walk past 15 Nigerians and a donkey. They sleep within inches of the chicken coop door. I also have a few very small Nigerian kids out too, maybe 5lbs each.
What do you all think I've got going on?
There's an overgrowth of brush in the center of the pen I built. Goats havnt cleared it up yet. I have a suspicion there's a fox living in there but I havnt had time to get equipment out there to clear it. I've out a few shells of 3" buckshot in there when I thought I saw eyes. Tonight I'm lighting a few 1/4 sticks of dynamite and throwing it in there. Kinda pissing me off if you can't tell.
Thanks!
I have game cameras up on my property and see a lot of predators roaming around here mostly at night. I've had mostly coyotes, some fox, bobcats, coons, possums, skunks, hawks and owls that have at one time either killed or attempted to get some birds. The killers I eliminated. I do have electric wire around all of my coops and pens and the predators know it's there. I have had some attempt to dig under the fence then get zapped by the electric wire and abort their digging. I hope you find out what got your birds. Good luck...
