Chicken Coop Carnage

[matchset]

Someting busted/scratched thru the metal window screen in the chicken coop last night. killed nearly 40 chickens and 3 ducks. 1 or 2 chickens are missing but the rest are uneaten.

no scat in the coop, and no real evidence on what broke the screen.

any ideas guys??

[swamptiger]

Hard to say, but more than likely your killer will be back - most likely right at dark or shortly after, or right at daybreak.

[thatoneguy]

chupacabra.

[SpitnArgueDuckClub*]

Someting busted/scratched thru the metal window screen in the chicken coop last night. killed nearly 40 chickens and 3 ducks. 1 or 2 chickens are missing but the rest are uneaten.

no scat in the coop, and no real evidence on what broke the screen.

any ideas guys??

Weasil or Mink, set a 110 in the opening of the window screen and you should have the perp in the morning.

[HunterLee]

Sounds like a coon if it was near the bottom of the fence or somehow an owl got in. Those are the two the kill like that.

[PurpleFloyd]

Weasil or Mink, set a 110 in the opening of the window screen and you should have the perp in the morning.

this

[JEV]

I've seen pine martin do the same thing...

[swamptiger]

Quote:

Sounds like a coon if it was near the bottom of the fence or somehow an owl got in. Those are the two the kill like that.

Unless it was Jack the Ripper...

[Comstock]

My guess is an Owl, and forsure and Owl if the heads of the chickens were ripped off. My family raised chickens for years and we had our share of predator issues and Owls were by far the worst. They kill just to kill. Most folks that raise birds of any type, chickens, ducks, pheasants would agree. Could have been raccoon but the high number of killed birds leads me to believe it was an Owl. Keep the coop tight is the only thing you can do, Good Luck!

Jay

[Musky Buck]

I'd guess coon, we had similar a few years back, we set traps and caught 2 skunks, 3 fox all YOY, and finally the coon, had 40 chickens, each night he got a couple, that's why if it killed most of them in 1 night I don't think a coon would do that but who knows.

[matchset]

no blood guys... we've had an owl bust thru a window before..... the screen was cut in a way a knife would. about a foot in length.

the ducks and chickens were scattered around the coop and yard. necks seemed to be snapped. two were taken out of the 1ft slit and eaten out there.

[SpitnArgueDuckClub*]

no blood guys... we've had an owl bust thru a window before..... the screen was cut in a way a knife would. about a foot in length.

the ducks and chickens were scattered around the coop and yard. necks seemed to be snapped. two were taken out of the 1ft slit and eaten out there.

Did you get a chance to set a conibear in the screen opening? I still bet weasil, mink or like another poster suggested a pine martin (if those are in your area). Some sort of weasil type critter though, the foot length cut in the screen may get a few to think that's too big for a mink or weasil but remember the critter took / pulled two ducks or geese out of the screen and that could have opened up the initial entry hole quite a bit. A 110 (1st choice) or (116 second choice) conibear (don't go too big though say 220 coni; or a mink / weasil may slip right through without tripping the trap) a single 110 set in the opening trip wires up from the bottom should be all you need.

[Comstock]

cut in the screen? Owl is still my #1 guess. Folks that raise Pheasants will tell you that a Hawk or Owl will dive bomb thru the netting or screens they have covering thier bird pens and we have had that happen on our farm to in years past. In my experience the worst one night we ever had was 16 chickens all with heads cut off and rest of the chickens body was still in the coop. that was a great horned owl that night, i was doing chores at 4am and you never forget looking face to face with those eyes of an owl about 10 feet away!

Good Luck!

[delcecchi]

Can an owl carry a chicken? If the chicken or duck was carried back out through the window, and two were eaten that sounds like something more than an owl.

[Musky Buck]

And the mystery continues..........Set a trailcam if you could, I've got a barn full of chickens and have mega coons going in and out but all they eat is the catfood and spill the water dishes and haven't bothered the chickens yet at all. Skunks and opossums too, hmmmm.

[matchset]

nothing on Trail cam, nothing in the trap yet.... the whole situation seems strange! it might not have been an animal. maybe (no pun intended) "foul" play.....

[K_Josh87]

them dang nabb kids with them wrenches.... ;-S

[Eric Wettschreck]

My first thought was mink or weasel. However, they normally return for round 2, 3, and 4. Seeing this was, so far, a one time event has me scratching my head.

I'm leaning toward those darned kids with wrenches.

[The Grebe]

How big was the hole where it got into the coop? Any marks in the ground outside the coop? Was it real light screen, or was it a little bit heavier stuff. How far was the window off the ground?

[The Grebe]

I wonder if an owl is smart enough to work out all those details? Seems like it would be easier for it to catch a mouse or something?

[Grum]

I would think if you tacked up some chicken wire over the screen it might help secure the window a little better, but might not solve who the mystery bandit was, unless it slows them down longer for the trail cam to capture.

[Raider4ever]

chupacabra.

+1

[PurpleFloyd]

Did it smell a little squatchy around there by chance?

[RBuker]

A mink or Weasel wouldn't likely sratch though and tear a screen. I've seen coons scratch and chew through a wooden door to get in at chickens. Nothing worse than a varmint in the chicken coop. I killed a weasel two weeks ago in mine. Luckily I got him before he got any of my chickens.

[RumRiverRat]

ManBearPig?