The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Bumblebear on September 22, 2014, 11:42:08 am
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We have been losing chickens on a regular basis over the last month or so. Some have completely disappeared and one was a poor hen eaten whilst she was sitting on her eggs! The have all been bantams or young, small birds. The ones which have been disappeared were in a run (because they were for sale) and ironically enough it is these that are being picked off not the free range ones. When I say disappeared I mean just that, not a feather in sight.
We thought maybe bird of prey so strung some rope across the top of the pen but today found another dead, eaten chicken like the broody. It all very puzzling. We have let them all out now so they have a chance although I would feel happier if I knew what it was so I can tackle it.
Anyone have similar experiences?
We are in rural norfolk.
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So they're being taken out over the top of an open topped run and eaten close by?
What height is your run?
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Nope they either disappear completely without even a single feather or are eaten on the spot. Run is 7ft wire mesh. No holes dug under (we have small terriers and they can't get in or out.
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The broody was a free range hen who we didn't know was even broody until we found her remains and intact eggs.
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What size is the wire mesh and what bits of the dead birds have been eaten first? If you can tell?
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I had a friend with a similar problem last year and it turned out to be feral European eagle owls
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I had a friend with a similar problem last year and it turned out to be feral European eagle owls
not in SW Scotland I hope!
that is weird bumblebear. I guess not rats, or stoats. Any waterways near you? red kites? I have seen a sparrowhawk take a decidedly fat woodpigeon out while it was on the ground.
what size are the hens?
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East Ayrshire!
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We have marsh harriers near here so I've just contacted the BTO to see if it's typical raptor behaviour. It's all very grim.
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What size is the wire mesh and what bits of the dead birds have been eaten first? If you can tell?
All the fleshy bits are picked clean. And one eye hubby said :-\. Head intact.
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I had a friend with a similar problem last year and it turned out to be feral European eagle owls
not in SW Scotland I hope!
that is weird bumblebear. I guess not rats, or stoats. Any waterways near you? red kites? I have seen a sparrowhawk take a decidedly fat woodpigeon out while it was on the ground.
what size are the hens?
No waterways (other than my pond!) and all hens are banties. We are going to put our big boy in there tonight, but I'm slightly worried that it is big enough or hungry enough to take him out. Arghh, what to do. :thinking:
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Are they disappearing at night or during the day? We had a problem with a stoat / weasel last year, whatever it was managed to evade being caught on camera, too! >:(
Do you have or can you borrow a trail camera?
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I was wondering stoats or weasels too but don't know how they'd get them out of the pen....intriguing.
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Just a thought. Sorry if it is too simplistic. This happened to a friend of mine. She concentrated on the fence height and discovered later she had a 'mink problem' living under her hen house. Have you checked within the hen run?
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if they are going in the day, don't underestimate a sparrowhawk. I always have them buzzing my growers pens both I where I was which was a very wooded environment and where I am now which is moorland. Otherwise I would be thinking mink but I did think they would want a burn/river.
Clansman-eek! I've heard that there is a golden eagle in the Borders (or was up until this spring) and we have ravens on the hill apparently. I didnt realise we had feral eagle owls this far south.
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Predator mammals - cats, stoats, mink, weasels, fox, badger - tend to eat bones and all. Raptors - buzzards, red kite and so on - often pluck the feathers and pick the bones clean. Rats also pick bones clean. Look for the muck - fox's are like dog muck, except pointed at one end, smaller predators are like smaller versions of dog muck, rats are dark brown cylinders about 2cm long.
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Sounds like a bloody bird of prey!
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Sounds like a bloody bird of prey!
I agree, but seems odd something like a sparrow hawk would go for the ones in the pen, with the ropes strung across the top rather than the free range ones, and even more unlikely such a bird would target a broody.
You said you found the eggs bumblebear, rats I'd have thought would have eaten the eggs too..?
I guess there's a possibility that several predators have been at them?
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The odd thing is that until we put strings up they were just disappearing without a trace. I suspect the predator is coming at dawn because the chickens are in a henhouse (not locked) and the carcass was found in the run. I can't see anything dragging it out of the run having gone to the effort to kill it. I never thought of 2 predators - going from zero predators to two would just be too unlucky!
We will have to borrow a camera and put a chicken lure in there.
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Fairly intact as you can see....just the breast meat missing.
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Cat? I've seen them just eat breast meat, any big feral ones about?
just smaller birds you reckon?
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We have had a problem with mink twice. First time we lost most of our birds in a 6 week period. Second time we lost 3 hens and a duck in 4 days
They either vanished or the ones we did find always had been eaten into through the Brest and the meat eaten on a few occasions the intestines where also pulled out.
Our friend also had a problem but as where we live next to the river our friend is nearly a mile away from the river
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Cat? I've seen them just eat breast meat, any big feral ones about?
just smaller birds you reckon?
This was a bantie hen :( No feral cats here and how would the others disappear :thinking:
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We have had a problem with mink twice. First time we lost most of our birds in a 6 week period. Second time we lost 3 hens and a duck in 4 days
They either vanished or the ones we did find always had been eaten into through the Brest and the meat eaten on a few occasions the intestines where also pulled out.
Our friend also had a problem but as where we live next to the river our friend is nearly a mile away from the river
We are a mile or so away from a river, maybe a bit further. Would mink pull them out and over a run? I'm hoping it's not a bird of prey - I would far rather it be an easy to eliminate pest. We will stake out to catch the bugger dawn tomorrow. Well hubby will. I'll keep the bed warm :)
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My guess would be mink. But you have Coypu in East Anglia and I don't know what they are capable of?
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A bird of prey would be my guess buzzard being my first thought. I have lost bantams to them in the past and they are big enough to fly away with a bantam.
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Do you have a bird of prey expert in your area. I dare say they would be able to say exactly what type of bird (if any) is taking your banties. The local police usually have details of anyone who may be able to help.
I had a Black Rock killed by an escaped Goshawk, she looked very much like your bantie's carcasse.
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Does sound like a bird. We have had a buzzard take birds. I have also found bits of pheasants now and again in the paddocks that I have put down to them.
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If it is just taking off the breast I would guess at a female sparrowhawk as this is what they do with pigeons. A male would be too small to tackle even a bantam I would think.
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This is the run which is in the goat paddock, with 2 free roaming goats. Some chooks have completely vanished from it and after the string along the top the carcass was found in one corner of the run with all other chooks perfectly safe.
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nice run! I'd get some bird/pond netting to go over the top-have just bought a load cheap from eBay. you can fix it on using cable ties-job done. I have to cover my growers pens with it here and will be keeping the grown ups pens covered in it this winter-discourage the starlings a bit I hope.
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How have you got on?
Looks like an owl or an escaped falconers bird, Eagle owl or Gos hawk. If ou can spot it, see if it has jessies on its ankles, ifor does its not a wild BoP so you can legally catch it.
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the last few days I've become aware of what I thought was a very large sparrow hawk around my paddock-we have a lot of young starlings atm after chicken feed. Now I'm thinking goshawk which is not a bird I'm familiar with. I will keep young birds covered I think. I did have a hen harrier visit last year but I've not seen him since.
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Herons would do this.
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Herons would do this.
I wouldn't think a big bird like a heron would go through the string though?
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I have had problems sigh buzzards killing my hens. We have a large enclosed area for the hens, and to combat attack we have bamboo poles spaced across in rows, with a lattice of strings with of CDs attached to prevent swooping. It seems to work as there have been no attacks since we installed the poles last summer.
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I had a full grown frizzle bantam disappear yesterday. They have an totally enclosed run but are free range in the afternoons. She never leaves her friend's side and they never wander more than a few yards
Earlier I saw two magpies making a fearful noise in one of the trees near the run.
There are no sign of carcase or feathers.
In past years I have had magpies take small chicks but would one take a full grown pekin bantam?
Earlier in season I lost a 6 week old chick but there were feathers left.
Other suspects are the buzzards or rats?
It's a puzzle. What does one do.... keep them in the run at all times?
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Magpies usually make a fearful noise when a predator is around, such as a fox.
Buzzards WILL take fairly large birds, i've seen then kill plenty of pheasant poults and immature birds over the years.
Goshawks are bastards for anything really.