Who killed my rooster? (GRAPHIC CONTENT Warning )

[wonderlandfly]

My cochin bantam rooster Shadow was suffering from some avian chicken pox, so I went ahead and separated him out in a medium/ large dog kennel where he could get better but not spread it to everyone else. He was in there for like 5 or so days when I went out to go feed all the animals like I usually do, but when I checked on him I was shocked to see that he was no where to be seen except a huge clump of feathers, searching around, I saw two feet away was his head, so he was indeed dead.

What real dumbfounded me though was that when I went to go check the dog kennel, all the doors were completely locked! There was also no rest of his body or bones in the cage. Does anyone know what possibly could have done this?
I spotted a new neighborhood cat wandering around but how would they have removed the whole body with bones and all inside a locked cage?

Please help, this has been really messing me up since yesterday. I’m also now super worried about the rest of my flock. I feel so bad for Shadow, he definitely didn’t deserve this

 

[NagemTX]

I would say coon. I had one dismember a bird through the wire and take it out pice by pice.

To keep it from happening again cover that cage with hardware cloth. Them no graby hands can get through.

 

[Fluffy_Moth_With_Silkies]

I'd say a raccoon. One got my silkie the other day. They rip off heads through fences. I'm sorry for your loss though, I know it hurts to lose a chicken.

 

[Geena]

What real dumbfounded me though was that when I went to go check the dog kennel, all the doors were completely locked! There was also no rest of his body or bones in the cage. Does anyone know what possibly could have done this?

Sorry for your loss. Unfortunately dog kennels are not safe from predators unless covered with hardware cloth. Sorry to say something got ahold of him through the bars and killed him, probably a raccoon.

 

[wonderlandfly]

I would say coon. I had one dismember a bird through the wire and take it out pice by pice.

To keep it from happening again cover that cage with hardware cloth. Them no graby hands can get through.

Geez that is crazy
poor chicken.

Did you try to trap the raccoon? I was thinking about buying and setting up a humane catch and release trap cause I am worried for the rest of my animals

 

[wonderlandfly]

Sorry for your loss. Unfortunately dog kennels are not safe from predators unless covered with hardware cloth. Sorry to say something got ahold of him through the bars and killed him, probably a raccoon.

Thank you, yeah it really does suck but at this point I also want to protect my other chickens if it is a raccoon. Do I just set a up a humane catch and release trap, or like somehow distract it with like cat food or something.

 

[Geena]

Geez that is crazy
poor chicken.

Did you try to trap the raccoon? I was thinking about buying and setting up a humane catch and release trap cause I am worried for the rest of my animals

It's best to trap and kill raccoons. It's illegal in most states to relocate them because they are the main vectors for several different devastating diseases, including rabies.

 

[NagemTX]

Geez that is crazy
poor chicken.

Did you try to trap the raccoon? I was thinking about buying and setting up a humane catch and release trap cause I am worried for the rest of my animals

I did and my brother took it out to the next county over and sent it on its way at a county/state park wildlife reserve.

 

[NagemTX]

It's best to trap and kill raccoons. It's illegal in most states to relocate them because they are the main vectors for several different devastating diseases, including rabies.

I do suggest killing it tho. I currently don't have a good method other than gun right now. We are in a kinda subdivision where everyone has 1 to 5 aecers.

 

[nuthatched]

Sorry for your lost.
As long as your birds are secure at night, you have nothing to worry about.