Who killed my silkies and polish?

[lilmillefleur]

I have never, ever lost a chicken to a predator. We kept our chickens in a secure HWC coop. When we moved them into the barn, the coop was built without a top and with chicken wire because the predator can’t even get in the barn. Right?
Wrong.
Yesterday my dad found out two silkies Vicious and Ginger dead in their coop with blood on their beaks. Today he found our polish Missy with her head decapitated.
Our setup. The coop is in a barn. The only conceivable way to get in was through the open loft door. The predator must have flown in and grabbed the chickens through the open top of the run (all inside the barn). I am not currently able to asses damage but dad is looking for clues. He thinks he found an owl pellet? But he isn’t sure. Is this in fact an owl?
Thanks everyone.

 

[ScarletinaVixen]

Yesterday my dad found out two silkies Vicious and Ginger dead in their coop with blood on their beaks. Today he found our polish Missy with her head decapitated.
Our setup. The coop is in a barn. The only conceivable way to get in was through the open loft door. The predator must have flown in and grabbed the chickens through the open top of the run (all inside the barn). I am not currently able to asses damage but dad is looking for clues. He thinks he found an owl pellet? But he isn’t sure. Is this in fact an owl?
Thanks everyone.

I have dealt with owls before. If they can find a way in, they will get in, even if it means they cannot leave. It killed half my chickens in a 3 day period. We are talking about 14 birds. They were missing heads mostly or the heads would be there and the body not, or I would find a wing. My friendly neighborhood raccoons had a similar attack so I thought it was them or some rare early morning hawk (but the hawks near me leave feet as their signature). I boosted security. I came outside early the next day to find an owl trapped in the coop. He got inside through an opening no bigger than my fist (based on feathers caught there). I have replaced lots of hardware cloth, reinforced the door, tested and secured the covering... so far no more problems. But it sounds like an owl for certain. I would put money on it.

 

[Trish1974]

I am so sorry for both of your losses @puffypoo and @ScarletinaVixen

 

[lilmillefleur]

I have dealt with owls before. If they can find a way in, they will get in, even if it means they cannot leave. It killed half my chickens in a 3 day period. We are talking about 14 birds. They were missing heads mostly or the heads would be there and the body not, or I would find a wing. My friendly neighborhood raccoons had a similar attack so I thought it was them or some rare early morning hawk (but the hawks near me leave feet as their signature). I boosted security. I came outside early the next day to find an owl trapped in the coop. He got inside through an opening no bigger than my fist (based on feathers caught there). I have replaced lots of hardware cloth, reinforced the door, tested and secured the covering... so far no more problems. But it sounds like an owl for certain. I would put money on it.

Thanks. I think it was an owl. Dad moved remaining flock to more secure coop and is now looking for clues.
Also edit: head was not eaten, just decapitated and found in another part of the coop.

 

[meglynnie]

I'm sorry for your losses! I hope you can figure out the predator.

 

[ScarletinaVixen]

I am so sorry for both of your losses @puffypoo and @ScarletinaVixen

I try to be non-emotional about it, but it was so sad. My poor crooked toe giant rooster was sobbing. I never heard a rooster make that sound. It's what woke me. He just stood for almost a week in the corner, sounding alarm if the wind blew or a leaf fell. He spent a lot of time in my lap for a while. That man was so grieved.

 

[Kessel23]

Look around the barn for other entry points, if it is an old wooden barn it might have a few squirrel holes chewed into it.

If a squirrel can get in a weasel can too.

I thought it was weird that you said the two silkies were untouched aside from a little blood on their nose and they were both right next to each other. Larger predators like owls and raccoons do overkill but they usually eat at least part of one of their kills. Since you still have the birds it should be pretty easy to find out who killed them. Pull back the feathers and look for talon marks, look around the neck of the silkies, owls will kill their prey with a bite to the spine behind the head.

 

[ScarletinaVixen]

Thanks. I think it was an owl. Dad moved remaining flock to more secure coop and is now looking for clues.
Also edit: head was not eaten, just decapitated and found in another part of the coop.

Owls are heckin' clever. Once they know there is an easy meal, they will watch. They will learn. They will find any mistake you made.

 

[lilmillefleur]

It’s a very new barn so likely no holes. But Dad is still looking for clues to the murder mystery.

 

[Kessel23]

It’s a very new barn so likely no holes. But Dad is still looking for clues to the murder mystery.

Have him pull off some of the feathers on the silkies if he is willing to. It should be easy to find out if it was an owl.