What would eat just the breast?

[birdnutz]

My ex brother in law is having problems with some thing killing and eating just the breast of chickens,ducks and pilgrim geese. Any ideas what this could be? This is out on the grasslands. So it has to be some kind of dry land predator. Hawk maybe?

 

[lurky]

Looks like nobody dares to touch this one

Guess we'll have to wait for PC

 

[nnbreeder]

It's been my experiance that a Hawk will do this and yes they can take full grown geese.

 

[CrowinKing]

I'm gonna say hawk as well!

 

[Zookeeper9000]

Racoon will eat just the breast meat.

 

[birdnutz]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I was also thinking hawk,but I figured they'd eat more of the bird. I'm doubtful about raccooms since they live out on the grasslands. But anything is possiable. There are lots of hawks and eagles out there though. Everything from goldens to kestrals. Anyone heard of a humongous hawk? I hadn't before I went to the raptor rescue. They're as big as an eagle. Also very rare I heard.

 

[Poohbear]

Horned-Owls will eat breast from a grown chicken. He will usually come back evry night or every other night in the early morning hours.

 

[scgamecock]

A opossum will doit too.

 

[TexasVet]

My money's on the possum. They're smaller than racoons, so they tend to eat their prey where they kill it. Racoons will grab the bird and run.

I've found the best thing to do is set a trap near the coop, bait it with dry dog food and/or chicken parts (tied to the cage), and then cover it with hay so it looks like a den. This works so well that last week I caught two coons and a possum in three days. You can see the varmints and the trap I use here: http://www.countrychickens.com/country_chickens_4_006.htm

Traps aren't cheap, but they cost less than constantly replacing your birds.

Kathy in Texas

 

[redhen]

Quote:

....ooh..i can just hear it now....

..