What would dig up and eat a dead chicken?

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i had a chicken that passed away, oh gosh, a couple weeks ago. Wrapped her in tissue paper and buried her several feet deep out in a side yard i rarely frequent. Put a large rock on top of the grave. i know i saw that rock in place a few days ago. Then this morning i went out there and found something had dug up the ground, tissue paper and feathers everywhere. Most of the chicken had been eaten, but not her head.

i think the possible culprits are possum or perhaps a raccoon. We don't have minks, bears, foxes, or coyotes.

 

[Miltonchix]

I've had a fox and my own dog do it. Now I bury them 4 ft deep which in Ca. may be a little difficult. You have rocks.

 

[PunkinPeep]

my dog.

Although, placing a cement block on top of the grave will normally deter her.

 

[Miltonchix]

Quote:
I tried the block. Dog just dug in at an angle under the block.

 

[peachlover]

Skunks and bears will.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

We don't have dogs, but i have seen a skunk in our yard on several occasions. i have buried most of my chickens around a large pine tree, surrounded by a 4' fence. This is the first time i used that side yard, which is more easily accessible to critters.

 

[jjparke]

This may sound harsh but I throw my carcasses in the trash to be hauled away. I processed 5 once and buried all the viscera a couple feet down and within a day they were dug up. I don't want to give critters any more reason to come around and that's why I put mine in the trash now.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

jjparke - This event made me ponder the wisdom of burying any dead chickens. i don't want critters coming around, looking for more, then trying to get into my coops. Any unexplained deaths, i take them to UC Davis for a necropsy, after which they are cremated. But this little girl died of an obvious trauma which i witnessed, so a necropsy wasn't needed. i'm going to have to rethink things here.