Does this sound like fox?

[Bushwhacker]

Was talking with someone on Friday and she reckons a fox got in with her chickens (20,000 free range) and killed/ate the head off of one, leaving the body behind.

I said I don't think it's fox and would put it down to a small mustelid or possibly domestic cat. What does anyone else think?

It's sketchy information but that's all the sense I could muster.

 

[Bushwhacker]

Forgot to add - although free range it's obviously still fenced around.

 

[Schism]

What area is it in? we had a problem with stoats here a while ago causes a lot of damage

 

[Schism]

was there any other sign or damage to the fences etc?

 

[Oblio13]

Raccoons will often just eat the head or crop. Weasels and minks will often eat just the neck or back of the head. If it was a fox, the whole bird would likely be gone, with just feathers left behind.

 

[Bushwhacker]

What area is it in? we had a problem with stoats here a while ago causes a lot of damage

This is in Somerset - mainly dairy farmland.

was there any other sign or damage to the fences etc?

Not sure, all I was hearing was wailings that it was a fox "because that's what foxes do" nobody prepared to acknowledge that it was anything else.
I don't see why a fox would just eat the head from just one chicken.

 

[British Red]

Unlikely to be a cat normally chickens see off cats. Doesn't seem like a fox either.

Stoat or weasel?

 

[Jaysurfer]

Fox would of taken the whole bird, unless it was interupted or startled by someone...

 

[locum76]

Could it be a raptor. I doubt it was a fox, a fox would have killed the lot.

 

[Bothwell_Craig]

Could have been a fox which was subsequently disturbed. They will go into pens, eat a few and kill loads leaving them behind.

Definitely sounds more like a raptor. The first thing that goes is the head as that is where the danger is to them and they are the most likely to take just one at a time. Possible it's been mobbed and took off without it's kill.

 

[Bushwhacker]

The two main raptors in that area are buzzard and sparrowhawk - I'm not sure if they would attack.

 

[JonathanD]

Mink do this too.

 

[Bothwell_Craig]

The two main raptors in that area are buzzard and sparrowhawk - I'm not sure if they would attack.

They will, and frequently which is one of the main reason they are persecuted so heavily

 

[locum76]

Yup, Buzzard was the one I had in mind, I don't think they'd normally go for chooks but in this weather when there's slim pickings...

 

[Barn Owl]

I'd go with a disturbed bird of prey too.

When times are lean...

I've known a parent peregrine to take a pheasant and return to nest site 8hrs after last seen with parts of it.

 

[pwb]

We have lost a lot of poultry to stoats recently too as well as foxes and a mink which we managed to trap.
But so far the stoat attacks have claimed the most birds.

 

[WeThePeoplexfbm]

work dog? maby?

 

[poddle]

I have seen a Tawny Owl do this to a pheasant, It had been happening for weeks and we lost many birds, we eventually caught the culprit red handed(winged) one evening at dusk.

Some times they will just open the cranium and take the brain.
A tawny would probably find it easy to enter a chicken house, they are very small under all those feathers.

 

[locum76]

I have seen a Tawny Owl do this to a pheasant, It had been happening for weeks and we lost many birds, we eventually caught the culprit red handed(winged) one evening at dusk.

Some times they will just open the cranium and take the brain.
A tawny would probably find it easy to enter a chicken house, they are very small under all those feathers.

Interesting situation when the 'culprit' is untouchable - how do you deal with it?

 

[poddle]

Interesting situation when the 'culprit' is untouchable - how do you deal with it?

Seal up the chicken house, or do it the country way.