Dead Hens

[stevek]

This morning when I went to feed my birds, I found that my three hens were dead.  There was blood and feathers strewn about.  I had three pair of valley quail in a raised pen about 8x4x4.  I had lots of cover, and areas to perch.  My wire is approx 1/2 inch by 3/4 inch, and I can see no evidence of anything getting them from the outside.  One of my males is hurt, but the other two are fine.  The pen has an attached house, and they usually go into it when spooked.  Could this possibly been inflicted by the males?  I don't know what to make of it.

[philz]

I'm facing the same problem only with less expensive birds.  This morning I lost one male coturnix.  The night before was the same deal and I can't figure out the culprit.  Their heads are gone everytime.  I have them in a 2ft by 8ft pen covered with 1inch pultry wire. I can see where the side is pushed in. Last night I set a livetrap but it was comepletly avoided! Tonight I set up with a shotgun in one hand and an AR-15 in the other! Yeah buddy it's going down!!!!

I'm thinking you could be dealing with a weasel or mink. It's odd how they attacked just your hens.  Maybe they were easier prey.  I doubt the males would do that unless you just put them in? Are the heads gone?

My aunt had several pheasants killed over the course of about a week.  This has been a few years but I recall only the heads were missing.  I know they were getting in the pen with them.  At the time I was trapping and it was season so, I set up in her barn and caught 2 mink.  She has never had the problem since.

[stevek]

Yes, now that you mention it, one of the heads is missing.  I thought it may have fallen through, but I don't see it.  The sides of my pen are 1x1 galvanized.  I see no sign of force.  Do you think something could have entered through the wire?  The bottom seems too small, but some are missing toes.  My birds were doing very well in that pen for about six months.  They will be missed.

[philz]

They could be easily getting in the sides of your pen. I have my pens over 4feet off the ground and the critter still crawls up and enters the side 1inch poultry wire.  

Last night I sat up until 11 with my guns.  As I was preparing to leave (caffeine wore off) I heard my quail flying around.  I hit the spot light but my view was blocked by a tree.  I didn't think he would go to that pen. I ran over locked and loaded but it was gone.  No harm done. At least not until I checked back this morning. I found another dead one.

I think I know what's happening now. The critter enters the 1inch wire(I can see it's been stretched out of shape) confronts the quail, the males stand their ground and the hens take cover.  Next, the critter grabs them by their wing and pulls & drags them to the end of the pen where a swift bite to the neck kills it. Finally, the critter exits the pen while clamped down on the quails head. Pop!  The head comes off.  

I found a short silky hair at the scene of the crime.  I'm almost certain it's a mink now. Unless it's my hair!  I might take the hair to a crime lab this week and identify it during class when the instructor isn't looking!

[stevek]

After I cleaned up the pen, I had a good look at all my dead birds.  All of them were missing their legs.  I mean the whole leg was missing.  My floors are 1/2 inch by 3/4 inch.  I can't imagine how something could have gotten to all of my birds.  I would have thought they'd go for the house.  Whatever it was, it was able to kill all of my birds, through small openings in the floor.  I'm at a loss as to what could have done that.

[jchiar]

could be a raccoon ,weasel ,skunk,mink or rat

[philz]

Hey, I didn't think rat? Kill them all!!!!!

[klsquail]

I'd say weasel or raccoon.  They both like to rip off body parts.  I know we've had problems with raccoons reaching through chicken wire and pulling (or trying to) chickens out.  They've usally killed the whole pen in one night though.

[lhamid]

I had a raccoon pull a hen through the wire. I think she was sleeping close to the wire and he just reached in and pulled her through.

[quaildude]

hey if you pay me i'll watch your quail all night and get the raccoon ,weasel ,skunk,mink or rat or then again anything that moves guaranteed!!!!
J K good luck with your problem.


Tim

[IamTomm]

I would guess it was a coon.  They are notorious for trying to pull birds threw the wire.

 But noone has mentioned it,  so I figured I would, it could also be a cat. A few years back I had a cat climb about 7 ft up the wire to get into the top where the netting was attached to the fench.  Thier was an opening about 6 inches and the cat was full grown.  I would never have believed it was a cat if I didn't see the cat run out of that hole with my own eyes.  The cat managed to kill a kalij pheasant (which are tough, larger sized birds) and drag back out the same hole he came in. I caught the cat coming out of the pen a few days after the bird disappeared,  I was scratching my head as to where the bird went until, I seen the culprit.  He managed to drag the bird about 25 yards to a pile of boards where I found the remains a few days laterafter that.  Since then my pens have changed drastically and cats are no longer a threat to my pens or birds.  Switch to 1/2 by 1/2 inch wire and the animals will not be able to reach threw the wire to get the birds.

[penny's dad]

A FEW YEARS BACK I HAD A CAT KILL ABOUT 10 BOBS IN MY FINISHING PEN THAT IS MADE OF 1X2 WELDED WIRE. THE QUAIL WERE STILL IN THE PEN JUST WITHOUT A HEAD. ALL HE COULD DO WAS GET ON TOP OF THE PEN CATCH WHAT PART HE COULD AND PULL IT OUT. WELL HE TRIED IT TOO LONG AND SUCCUMB TO LEAD POISONING. :lol:     P.D.

[philz]

Well, it seems as though everyone has had these problems. I avoided the critter by moving my pens up to our new house where our dog roams. I still have a susupect hair I want examine for fun though. I also plan on contacting a C.O. officer and setting traps. I just hope it doesn't find a way into my fly pens!

I heard cats are really bad quail killers to.  They say they can knock down the wild population. Coons are tricky critters I don't want either.  Whatever was messing with my quail better find something else to munch on!

[quailer370]

Hey, I didn't think rat? Kill them all!!!!!

i agree with you!

those varmints are darn everywhere!  they even tunneled under my quail cage (luckily mine is off the ground!) id be suprised to see a mink or weasel where i live, and there dont seem to be coons around anymore but the rats here are unbelievable they get into everybody's attic.

im building a chicken coop and flight pen right now and taking every precaution so as to keep the predators out

its turning out to be a LOT of precautions  

-quailer370