Posted in Homestead Barnyard
I was just reading over at Prairie Mouse's House about how she lost all of her chickens the other night. Something actually broke a window to her henhouse and cut the throats of the chickens before dragging one off. Grr..... That is just heartbreaking.
I found a link on BackyardChickens.com though that has lots of information on chicken predators and their "method of kill".
Here are some of the descriptions:
Raccoons - A raccoon typically attacks birds by biting the head or upper neck area. The heads of adult birds are usually bitten off and left some distance from the body. The crop and breast may be torn and chewed and the entrails eaten. Raccoons have been known to mutilate poultry in cages by pulling heads or legs off. Several kills may be made during a single night raid with part of one or more carcasses fed upon. Dead fowl may be at the kill site or dragged several yards away. Raccoons are also serious predators of wild bird populations. Reports indicate that raccoons have been responsible for eliminating local populations of some nesting waterfowl.
Fox - The fox, whether it's a gray or red, tends to strike fear into the hearts of chicken owners. The fox is prone to hunt 2 hours after sundown and 2 hours before sunup. Foxes take their prey some distances (miles even) from the sight of the kill. Usually the only sign of a fox raid is feathers and squalling hens. Although most active at night, they are also seen by day. They are known for their raids on poultry, particularly during the spring when there is a need to provide food for growing litters. Red foxes do not chew their food, but tend to swallow whole. This accounts for the abundance of fur and crushed food bones found in fox droppings. They commonly kill more food that they eat at one time, and bury the extra food in caches.
Hawk - The Red-tailed Hawk has extremely keen eyesight and can often be seen perching in a tree at the edge of a meadow, watching for the slightest movement in the grass below. Prey is killed with the long talons and, if it is too large to swallow whole, it is torn to bite-sized pieces with the hawks beak.
Skunk - Skunks occasionally kill poultry and eat eggs. They normally do not climb fences to get poultry. If skunks gain access, they will normally feed on the eggs and occasionally kill one or two fowl. Many times the skunk will remove the head from the chicken to drink the blood. Eggs usually are opened on one end with the ended crushed inward.
Coyote - Poultry, such as chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys, are easy prey, and any passing coyote bold enough to approach an area where they are ranging will help itself. Removing problem coyotes will only make space for other coyotes to move into the area. To stop poultry killing, predators would have to be trapped or snared close to the house. The best precaution is to house the poultry at night where predators can't get to them and build a high, predator-proof pen for the fowl during the day.
Mountain Lion - Larger animals are usually killed by a bite to the back of the neck. Lions usually remove the viscera and eat the heart, liver, and lungs first. Uneaten portions of prey items are often cached (covered with vegetation, dirt, snow, or other debris). These food sources are generally fed upon until consumed or they spoil. Lions generally move the carcass and re-cover it after each feeding.
Blessings,
Nancy Carter
HomesteadBlogger Senior Editor
www.HomesteadBlogger.com/UnlikelyHomesteader
