Author Topic: What the &%* is killing my chickens! (Read 2151 times)

S.S. · « **on:** August 09, 2006, 07:12:37 AM »

Now I have hunted most things that reside in the Southern U.S.,
But I have never encountered something like this.
About a week ago, My brother started loosing his free roaming
chickens to something. He called me and Upon a little bit of a search
we started finding trails of feathers. Now I am not talking a feather here
and a feather there, It looked like something was plucking it as it left with it.
No Blood was found and the wierd thing is that there are no tracks whatsoever.
Even in very loose sandy and dusty soil !
I thought OK, Owl Or Hawk right! Well not unless it can fly through a briar patch!
one of the trails was on the ground under the briar patch. no feathers were in the
overhanging briars, just on the ground. This is crazy, It has to leave tracks!
10 and counting have been taken by it so far. Any of you folks have any ideas,
This is frustrating !

Siskiyou · « **Reply #1 on:** August 09, 2006, 08:03:57 AM »

House Cat

oso45-70 · « **Reply #2 on:** August 09, 2006, 08:11:21 AM »

Mr Sumner, I sent you a E-Mail concerning your problem. If you choose to answer my AD is there for you.
Have a good day........Joe.......

hardertr · « **Reply #3 on:** August 09, 2006, 08:13:37 AM »

I'll second the "house cat" idea. Feral cats are EVERYWHERE, and a chicken is no match.

Could be a skunk too, but more likely a cat.

oso45-70 · « **Reply #4 on:** August 09, 2006, 12:46:01 PM »

There are a number of critters that do the dirty deed but they would almost have to leave some tracks, Some we have not mentioned so far is Mink or weasel which i know can take a chicken " No Sweat " cause i have had them raid my chicken house on more than one occasion. Coon, Skunk, house cat, dog, weasel, Mink, But all these Critters should make a track or two. Hope you get the problem solved............Joe..............

S.S. · « **Reply #5 on:** August 10, 2006, 06:46:33 AM »

There are all sorts of things around where he lives that could have done it,
but the no tracks thing is baffling!
The only thing I can figure is that it is something that Flys
I have never seen a hawk hunt at night and this appears to be happening at night.
I have never seen an Owl large enough to take a full grown chichen in this area.
The feathers that were on the ground under the briar patch may have been weighted
down by dew or something that made them fall to the ground instead of lodging in the briars.
The chickens roost in the same area at night, I have a plan to capture whatever this is
by using large Trebble Fish hooks and 50 Lb test line. If it flies through this it will be here
in the morning.

kyote · « **Reply #6 on:** August 10, 2006, 08:29:41 AM »

Hmmmm..I know a "CHUPA GUIENA"tis the cousin of the infamous chupa cabra...heck a big rat could do it also.

Larry Gibson · « **Reply #7 on:** August 10, 2006, 09:37:06 AM »

Quote from: kyote on August 10, 2006, 08:29:41 AM

Hmmmm..I know a "CHUPA GUIENA"tis the cousin of the infamous chupa cabra...heck a big rat could do it also.

Hmmmmm..sounds like a "Predator" cat to me....or I've watched the movies too much! Maybe one got loose from thier spacecraft.

Larry Gibson

curdog · « **Reply #8 on:** August 14, 2006, 05:06:21 AM »

was having the same problem, but mine was a half grown yote, he;s not with us anymore. the ground is dry and hard here so no tracks.if the chickens are roosting in a tree it is an owl or cat

oso45-70 · « **Reply #9 on:** August 14, 2006, 07:15:40 AM »

S Sumner.

Owls will take your chickens and they are very active at night, Not too sure where you are but the owls here in New Mexico reach 4 1/2 feet wing span and can haul a chicken with no problem. I say this from the experience i have had, Hope this helps........Joe.........

S.S. · « **Reply #10 on:** September 08, 2006, 09:40:18 AM »

It definately flys!
Now if I can Identify the feathers.
(dark black with white tips)
This thing is apparently spotting them in the roost tree
because of the street light! It is as big as a Turkey Vulture
(Or Buzzard as some folks call them around here).
And it comes in on them almost straight down.
Could not really get a shot at it as I was expecting
something on the ground and had a rifle.
SO far it has taken 12 Hens, 1 Rooster and a Guinea hen.
Time for a scattergun I guess.

oso45-70 · « **Reply #11 on:** September 08, 2006, 10:58:49 AM »

S.Sumner. I guess i called it right, If it happens at night it has to be an owl, If it happens during day light its more likely a hawk. Now that you know it flys what are your plans ?. Tune the ol shotgun up and sit and wait for it to make its move. Hope you have good luck eradicating the varmint

........Joe.........

S.S. · « **Reply #12 on:** September 15, 2006, 05:37:00 AM »

Identified the feathers and am now more puzzled than ever?
Wing tip feathers from an Osprey !
Now if I can figure out just what it is doing killing chickens.
They are Fish eating birds? This does explain the almost verticle approach
Though. Maybe it is injured or something and the Chickens are
easy meals. I am kinda' having mixed emotions on this one!
I don't really want to shoot an Osprey. I am trying to keep the chickens cooped up.
for a while, Maybe it will leave on it's own.

Chuck White · « **Reply #13 on:** September 17, 2006, 05:34:44 AM »

S.Sumner
The feathers you're finding could be chicken feathers!
I just don't see how an Osprey's feathers could be under a briar patch!

I think the culprit is a weasel!
The reason you don't see tracks is because the weasel, dragging the chicken away covers up the weasels tracks!

kyote · « **Reply #14 on:** September 17, 2006, 05:49:14 AM »

hmmmmm....interesting.the ghost of the chicken coop.brings me back to the chupa gueina theory..the distant cousin of the chupa cabra..have that guy from PA bait it for ya.he he he..

S.S. · « **Reply #15 on:** September 18, 2006, 08:14:04 AM »

The Chicken feathers were under the briar patch.
The Osprey Feathers were removed by Trebble Hooks
on fishing line suspended from tree limbs..
It is definately an Osprey, I have seen it once
now. There is about a 500 acre lake not far from us here
(3/4 Mile away maybe) and it may be from there.

nasem · « **Reply #16 on:** September 21, 2006, 07:46:53 AM »

why don't you bait one of them chickens out in the field.... put a thin rope on it and stand 150 yards away with your rifle and wait

You'll find out for your self and please let us know what happened

I think it was an alien

james · « **Reply #17 on:** September 25, 2006, 02:42:12 AM »

One method to catch a bird of prey is to put a rabbit skin on top of a large fence post and set a steel trap on it. You could probably substitue chicken feathers for the skin but I haven't tried them. I would pad the jaws with a split rubber hose so a non selected bird could be released unharmed. Last year a farmer a few miles away from me put out some posion for coyotes and harvested a bald eagle. The last I heard he received a $10,000 fine and possible jail time. You can't be too careful nowdays.
jim

S.S. · « **Reply #18 on:** September 27, 2006, 11:03:35 AM »

We have just been keeping the Chickens in the Coop...
I'm not going to shoot a Raptor of any kind.
I could have easily shot it a couple of times,
It sits on the top of the Power pole beside the Barn
in the Very Late evening.

curdog · « **Reply #19 on:** September 29, 2006, 08:27:26 AM »

good choice, at least you found out what it was

kyote · « **Reply #20 on:** October 05, 2006, 11:47:29 AM »

Hmmm..think I have solved the case..

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