Hi all, I'm not sure if I told you guys but about 12 days after the chicks disappearance another one of my animals were taken, a hen. So, today I was doing my usual routine by checking on them and I found the hen in the far corner of the pen. I haven't been able to see it because the day after it's disappearance it snowed. So finally most of it melted.
Its weird in a way because the head and the crop are pulled out. The head is still in tack with the spine. The crop is completely gone but parts are still there. And the most sicking part, is that the insides are gone too. The chest is wide open!
I'm thinking it's four-legged animal, that climbed up the side fence and did it's work there in that spot, then left with nothing in its hands. Also, why didn't it take more of the chickens while it was there? Or, why didn't it come back? I was thinking of putting the pieces of it in a trap. And putting the trap near the outside of the fencing. I did see what looked like small foot prints outside near the that place.
But for now my chickens are safe in their coop. I planning soon to buying a fence to cover the top and bottom of the pen.
Please, anyone any ideas.
Thank You, Eric
Finally Found Hen...
I have a book somewhere, that describes what predator likes to take what parts/or whole animal....in general. I'm sure all things can be different though. I'll have to find the book, or maybe someone else with better knowledge will post. I want to say it was opossums, skunks, or weasels though, that just ate certain parts. Of course that probably doesn't help much! That just leaves racoons, fox, dogs cats, birds of prey, etc. Good luck with preventing that though, I know the feeling-my very first flock of chickens I raised (all 13 of them survived, and made it out of the brooder into the real world) were attacked by what we believe was a coyote. It went through chickenwire, through the window, and took two chickens. One was left dead, two were injured, who also ended up dying. Predators suck.
make sur at the top of youre fence is flimsy stops anything trying to get in (out) because they cant get a balance