Soooo, I have an issue on my hands.
I went to camp July 19th through 26th last month, and when I returned, I had lost my Red Orpington rooster. My dad had simply left it in the pen when it died, and then run over it with the chicken tractor, so as you can imagine, I could not exactly tell wether it had been attacked, because it was already mangled when I got home. I'm not sure when it died, sometime while I was camping, but my dad didn't remember when it died (In case you haven't already figured it out, he doesn't go out of his way while feeding them).
In the past week, I have lost three hens. I'm not sure exactly when, because I've been at my mom's. This morning I was feeding my chickens, I got down to the pen, and had a dead mixed breed Orpington, and a dead Black Orpington. I was missing my Red Orpington hen, but she may have been killed before last night. I also had a Buff Orpington rooster that has a terrible scratched up leg and drumstick.
The birds both were missing a drumstick apiece, and nothing else looked bad on them. Is there a predator that only eats legs and thighs? I'm thinking it was bigger than a weasel, because it dragged one off. These birds weigh around 3 pounds apiece right now. There was a hole dug under the tractor about 6 inches by 3 inches. Any suggestions on what is? I'm hoping to borrow a game cam from my uncle who hunts, so I think he's got a couple...
I went to camp July 19th through 26th last month, and when I returned, I had lost my Red Orpington rooster. My dad had simply left it in the pen when it died, and then run over it with the chicken tractor, so as you can imagine, I could not exactly tell wether it had been attacked, because it was already mangled when I got home. I'm not sure when it died, sometime while I was camping, but my dad didn't remember when it died (In case you haven't already figured it out, he doesn't go out of his way while feeding them).
In the past week, I have lost three hens. I'm not sure exactly when, because I've been at my mom's. This morning I was feeding my chickens, I got down to the pen, and had a dead mixed breed Orpington, and a dead Black Orpington. I was missing my Red Orpington hen, but she may have been killed before last night. I also had a Buff Orpington rooster that has a terrible scratched up leg and drumstick.
The birds both were missing a drumstick apiece, and nothing else looked bad on them. Is there a predator that only eats legs and thighs? I'm thinking it was bigger than a weasel, because it dragged one off. These birds weigh around 3 pounds apiece right now. There was a hole dug under the tractor about 6 inches by 3 inches. Any suggestions on what is? I'm hoping to borrow a game cam from my uncle who hunts, so I think he's got a couple...
