Mysterious disappearance, predator?

Farrier1987 · Post by **Farrier1987** » Tue Jul 19, 2016 8:29 am

Everyone in the coop last night, except Bianca and her six chicks about 3 wks old. Got the eggs from Wllady, really looking forward to some Marans pullets. Bianca and chicks have been sleeping in a stall in the barn, doing just fine. Bianca is a good mom, you can look at my post about Bully Chicken, it was her.

Get up this morning and Bianca is wandering about the yard alone. I went out and couldn't see any chicks. Threw a handful of grain, she went right to it and cooed and called chicks. None appeared. Let the other bunch out of the coop, threw grain, everyone eating. Roofus the rooster was sure he was going to hav3e his way with Bianca. Not the usual when they have chicks.

So, six chicks gone from under the mother during the night. Gone. No feathers, no blood, no sign of anything, just gone. Bianca is not hurt, just bewildered.

So anyone got a guess what kind of predator would take away six chicks, not leave any sign? Feral cat? Coon? Fox? Thoughts and ideas welcome.

Farrier1987 · Post by **Farrier1987** » Tue Jul 19, 2016 8:46 am

Update. Went and looked around the stall. One dead chick. Fully intact, but bloody head. Appears that it was bitten in the head area, broke the skull, some bleeding, but not crushed or mangled. Guessing that is what happened to the rest, one by one. This one got missed. Not a weasel, the go for the throat, lot more blood around. Have had no sign of skunk around here? Coon would take the head right off? So I am thinking fox or feral cat. There has been a feral cat around. But not eaten there, taken away, and five out of the six, Leaning toward fox. Am going to use the chick as bait in a trap tonight. See what I get.

Ideas or input from anyone?

Post by **WLLady** » Tue Jul 19, 2016 8:53 am

so sorry colin!!!! i doubt it's a fox or mom would be gone too.....more likely a cat or coon.....although i think you have one really lucky mom.
hope you can catch whatever it was. fact that the mom wasn't touched makes me think the cat is likely.

Ontario Chick · Post by **Ontario Chick** » Tue Jul 19, 2016 9:04 am

redninja · Post by **redninja** » Tue Jul 19, 2016 9:07 am

I'm thinking rat as well.

Farrier1987 · Post by **Farrier1987** » Tue Jul 19, 2016 9:59 am

Also found one wing, so some consumed there. Bite mark on the head could be a rat bite. I did not grow up with rats, and know almost nothing about them. Would they take 5 at once? Remove them to elsewhere for later consumption? Someone, tell me more what rat habits and sign are.

Have never seen or had skunk problems here. No hint of odour in the stall this morning. But I found some poo over in the corner, looked like an omnivore of some kind, a lot like bear poo but a lot smaller. Maybe fox, but not cohesive enough, kind of that shape, but crumbly, and not all in one spot, spread out over a foot or so.

Post by **Killerbunny** » Tue Jul 19, 2016 11:22 am

Look for rat tail marks anywhere they might climb or squeeze in, just a long black oily mark.
Poor Bianca but she's a lucky girl.

Post by **WLLady** » Tue Jul 19, 2016 7:17 pm

i have had rats all over my barn/property since we moved in, and never had any take chicks...they love the eggs though....
rats leave big tail drag marks and will have burrows and tunnels about 6 inches underground which if you are unlucky enough you will twist your ankle in when they cave in when you walk. teeth marks will be about 3/4 or less of an inch apart and only 1 large (wide) hole from top teeth and another from bottom. the front teeth of a rat are much much longer than the rest and will leave a hole that is rectangular as opposed to a puncture hole like a canine tooth in a dog or cat. they will also leave tell tale scrape marks on bone, and will eat the bone by scraping it with those front teeth.

Farrier1987 · Post by **Farrier1987** » Tue Jul 19, 2016 8:19 pm

Update. Evening.

Talked to the neighbor. They have been taking in the bird feeder every night for the last few days as a coon has been cleaning it out. They are maybe 200 yards away from me. Also talked to a friend out west with great trapping knowledge. Says he has watched weasels skid away young chicks. He describes a very similar bite pattern to what I have here, back of the skull. I have seen no sign of rats as described above and no weasels.

So I am thinking its the coon. Going to set a conibear beaver trap for it tonight, bait it with the dead chick. Again, I didn't grow up with coons, so have never trapped one before, but I will give it a try. Will report any results.

None of the neighbors have dogs that run, and I am going to set the trap at dark, and pull it in the morning. I would feel really bad if I was to catch someone's dog. Feral cat? I guess it won't be nice if that is the culprit and it gets caught, but I am going to set the trap anyway. If its a weasel, very unlikely to get caught as it is a big trap but will get a good scare.

And for anyone that doesn't know, a conibear is a quick kill trap, not a leghold. And those who think catch and release elsewhere is a good solution, I disagree. Passing the problem on to someone else, or putting a wild animal in some other wild animal's territory to fight it out is not the solution. I choose this way with no apologies. Same with a feral cat.

ross · Post by **ross** » Tue Jul 19, 2016 8:30 pm

Sardines / juice works good for bait to man . Agree with what your saying . Another reason to not feed birds or at least put in at night to keep coons away . Luck