Who killed my hens?? - graphic

[chicknmania]

Raccons, I'm betting. They will leave one bird alone and kill another, then rip them apart or leave them untouched; they sometimes, will eat the entrails, but nothing else. We've had problems with possums before, and they almost always eat the whole bird right where they kill it. I think any predator will sometimes kill a bird and then leave it uneaten, or just partially eaten; maybe they get scared away, or whatever. Minks , weaels, and skunks, will all kill the bird, then just eat the entrails, and we've had minks kill them and leave them mostly untouched. During the day. You could try putting a thin layer of flour on the ground around the coop; see what kind of tracks you find in the morning.

 

[chicknmania]

Also, it's good that the dogs are running around, but, in my experience, coons aren't too concerned about dogs. They just wait for a golden opportunity.

 

[sdeneen2001]

I'm leaning toward racoon also. In looking around better yesterday afternoon, I noticed that there are a bunch of feathers from Deborah in the coop, right under where she usually roosts. She was eaten right outside the coop door. Zilpah was a panicky girl and it wouldn't surprise me if she tried to make a run for it while the others were all up in the rafters of the coop. There was a bunch of her feathers against the gate and then her body was just a little farther outside the pen. She is also a "screamer", so I wonder if she didn't wake up the local canines who in turn scared the predator away.

I currently have a "have-a-hart" trap set up outside the pen gate, baited with Zilpah's body (with a suggestion to use chicken flavored cat food). I'm shutting the coop and blocking the door with a cement block at night and letting them out into the pen during the day for now.

So, if it is a racoon and I do manage to catch it, I need some advise. First, if none of my neighbors have guns, I was thinking of taking the trap to the pond and submurging it - how long to "be sure"?
The local wildlife folks request that people DON'T relocate them "farther out" since studies have shown that they usually either find other people or they starve to death or are killed by the resident racoon population.

I nice gentleman on the EZboards offered a couple coon recipies, but I guess I'm a bit too suburban for that

(we need that little green sick smiley)

 

[seedcorn]

Agree not dogs as they just kill. After all are dead, they may eat.

bobcats/coyottes will grab and run to safe area to eat.

Best guess is raccoons or oppossums. Skunks/cats eat head first.

Redtails are my worst enemy but they strike in day. I'd be surprised if they got 2 tho.

 

[hencackle]

Deneen, I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm glad you posted the pictures, though. Stephanie

 

[Poison Ivy]

Quote:
We drown ours in a ex large garbage can. We found it to be cleaner then shooting them. Give them 15 mins in th water you will know when they stop making bubbles. Make sure to tie a rope on it so you can just throw it in and pull it out. That way you don't get to wet in the process.

 

[birdlover]

Well, I'm voting owl or hawk too. They look exactly like the two chickens I lost to a hawk. Caught him eating my precious black silkie and her neck was eaten down to the bone. The other was while I was at work and he had eaten a great deal. The insides were hanging out like in your pics. And that hawk was not afraid to come under our deck where the chickens hang out. In fact, before we lost any, my husband went down when he heard some squawking and was counting the chickens and the HAWK was under a table we have under the deck! The nerve!!! So it wouldn't surprise me if it went in your coop. But if they got killed at night, it could have been an owl. JMHO As far as drowning animals, I don't know, it just seems like such a horrible way to die. I guess no way is nice but drowning takes so long, it just seems cruel to me. Not trying to point fingers. I just know I couldn't do it.

Ellen

 

[MTchick]

Drowning sure isn't on the list of very "humane" ways to kill a raccoon, but it is pretty quick, very convenient, free, and you can guarantee you don't get their blood on anything. Raccoons are frequently carriers of rabies, so in that regard drowning is actually really safe for you- no contact with the animal or its fluids is necessary. If it was me in your position, I'd drown it. And you are right that relocating it isn't a good option- it will almost surely be killed by another raccoon or a car (on its way back to your house...).

-MTchick

 

[Poison Ivy]

If you have ever shot a raccoon and missed? We have on more then one occasion it's horrible and very, very messy. Plus the bullets have torn holes in my trap & dented it up pretty good. I know it take a little longer for the raccoon to die but it beats them getting shot and then having to reshoot them to finish them off. Plus our neighbor has horses and the gun shots scare them to death. The one neighbor came over and ask if we would call him the next time we did it. So he could let his young colt out of his stall. He got so worked up he had himself in a lather and it took them an hour to get him calmed back down and get him cleaned up & put back in his stall. So we decided to go with drowning them from now on. I know its not for everyone and I do feel bad when we have to kill them. But it's for the safety of my kids, pets & my flock.

 

[drafthorse39]

looks like a raccoon to me