What type of varment only eats the head?

[Crayonsmom]

A couple nights ago we had something break into the duck pen one night and kill four of our 10 4 week old ducks. I'm so sad. But I need to find out what it may have been. My dad slept out there last night, and said he smelled a skunk, but we were also thinking it may have been a weasle that killed them.

3 bodies were outside of the pen (dragged just under the bottom boards it I think... There was a small ammount sug out. very small.) and one was half way dragged under the board. Most of them werep retty much in tact, but one or two had no heads. So I was wondering if there;s a certain animal that will just eat the head or in other words "waste" most of the animal. It ticks me off more than ever because what ever took them just left them there, uneaten.

Thanks for any help!

 

[Rafter 7 Paint Horses]

I had that happen once. DH said skunk.

Jean

 

[gryeyes]

Skunks. Mean, wasteful bastids.

So sorry for your loss.

 

[SoJoChickens]

Coons will just eat the heads sometimes as well. If there was no skunk smell, I would bet that it was a coon.

 

[Kittymomma]

Quote:
Me too.

ETA: With them being dragged out of the pen I think coon is the most likely culprit.

 

[Crayonsmom]

Thanks everyone. We were thinking either a skunk or a weasel. Dad smelled a skunk out there last night, so it's likely that. Raccoon is certainly possible around here too. I'm glad it's probably not a weasel though because that would be harder to catch.

 

[WildWalker]

I've had the same thing happen to my chickens lately too - darn thing's come around twice now in as many days - killed one of my Ameracunas and one of my lil banties - both their heads were gone, feathers everywhere. I'm just using some chain-link fence with a sheet-tin roof and some hex-link chicken wire at the base and top - but the thing's agile enough to get through the chain-link in the middle and pull the kill out. I've not seen any scratch marks or prints to indicate digging or exactly what it is - only thing I noticed with this last attack was it had tried to tear a hole in the bottom hex-link. The gash couldn't have been any bigger then 2" tall and 6" wide straightened out. It looks like the only thing I can do is hex-link the center as well and wait out there with my .22 to see if the bugger dares show his ugly mug.

I can't set a live trap out because we have so many oblivious outdoor cats that will fall for anything the trap's just wasted.

Considering how agile it seems to be I'm guessing a possum or a weasel.

 

[SimplySplendidSilkies]

Run an electric fence TSC has a 2 mile fence charger for 20 bucks. My whole set up cost less than 50 bucks. Well worth it.

 

[kathyinmo]

There is a sticky at the top of this section. Here is an excerpt:

Parts Missing
A dead bird found inside a fenced enclosure or pen with its head missing is likely the victim of a raccoon that reached in, grabbed the bird, and pulled its head through the wire. Or a bird of prey could have frightened your birds into fluttering against the wire, and those that poked their heads through the wire lost their heads.

When you find a bird dead inside an enclosure with its head and crop missing, your visitor was a raccoon. If the head and back of the neck are missing, suspect a weasel or mink. If the head and neck are missing, and feathers are scattered near a fence post, the likely perp is a great horned owl.

Just as a raccoon will reach into a pen and pull off a chicken's head, so will it also pull off a leg, if that's what it gets hold of first. Dogs, too, may prowl underneath a raised pen, bite at protruding feet, and pull off legs.

 

[silkie33]

I had a weasel that just ate the heads. Tried to trap it. Got away every time. I put posion where nothing else could get it. The bate is gone, so is weasel.