What was the predator?

[DavidKerk]

Hi, a couple nights ago I had a chicken injured greatly. It was about 4:00 or 5:00 a.m. when it happened. The skin on the chickens back was hanging and her comb looked to be gone. She had to be put down. There were no tracks when I looked (mostly because it rained a lot). What could this animal be. By the way, it would have had to be able to climb a little to get in. I'm locking up the chickens at night now (I don't know why I didn't do it earlier, this happens every year). Thanks!

 

[boskelli1571]

Hi,
Sorry to hear about the chick. Raccoons, possums & fishers' are all good climbers, as is a neighborhood cat. If the hole were small enough weasels could also be the culprit. Without much info. the choice of predator is tough to nail down, sorry I can't be more helpful. Sue

 

[cypressdrake]

I had a mink squeeze in between the 2x4 stripping between the tin on my barn. The 2x is only 1 1/2 inch thick. This mink was 14 inces long and was very slim and squeezed right on in. It killed 30 chickens by sucking the blood out the throats. It didn't eat any, just killed for sport, this is what they do. I put in (MINK SUCKING BLOOD) on a search engine and found lots of links that made perfect since.

I since put a radio playing loud music and never had an attack again in that barn in over 2 years, and this Louisiana swamp is mink heaven.
I find that most wild animals don't like loud music. We still have coons come in the yard, but they don't go near that loud country music playing 24 / 7 / 365 in the barn.