Info On Raising Chickens, Ducks, Geese, & Other Poultry.
Helping the world raise chickens successfully since 1995!

Something killed 3 of my grown Ringnecks Saturday night.
I have never had a predator problem before.
It pulled their heads thru the wire then bit there heads off.
It left tracks in the snow that looks 2 cresent moon prints ()
Any idea wat is was??????

I don't know the foot prints, but a mink can bite a chicken head off and leave the rest.

Maybe this may help
http://wildwoodtracking.com/mammals/index.html

Crescent moon shaped tracks suggest to me that the animal had cloven hoofs, therefore not a predator.

Seems strange that all pheasants had their heads pulled through the netting. I would have thought that the others ought to have been alarmed enough to stay back, when the first bird was attacked.

Could it be that the tracks were slightly melted out. Most predators in the mustelid family will have pads on their feet, not unlike small but elongated dog prints. Raccoon are similar but broader than cat prints. Cat family and dog family, fox etc are all similar to the domestic version.

You could try setting a live trap with the remains of one of the pheasants and see what you catch.

Thanks for all the help. I don't know what it was. I have set a live trap but nothing yet. It was out first snow of the year (2Inches)And they were killed the night it snowed.

hey i have a problem with a mink i already know it was a mink can't seem to catch the lil thing it already killed 22 of my chickens so i was hoping you could give me some advice on what to do and how to catch the lil critter before it gets to my horses or goes after my neighbors chickens thanks alot
Chobits01

Your housing must be mink/raccoon/weasel/rat/ etc. proof, or the "Diner" will be back for breakfast, lunch and other dinners, "free" is good for predators.

If a large kill at one time, mink will do that, also raccoon, if you have them around. Bobcats just take one at a time-take it away-raccoon may kill everything that moves and usually take one to eat. Skunks, also, just take one at a time, but all predators come back if not locked out completely. This means doors, popholes, cracks that can be enlarged, under floors, through wire that can be stretched or chewed. Over fences, in through windows not shut tightly--not a funny thing. I am sorry for any losses to predators (hawks,daytimes, owls at night). It is up to us to outsmart them and keep our birds safe. Don't turn your back--they are good at what they do!
Good luck, CJR

Won't bother your horses, unless it's a cougar (unlikely, and like Bobcats, they only take one at a time), but your neighbors better beware--and safely secure their chickens--you have had a red alert--for varmints it is hunting season!!

My little one unplug the turning balance of the incubator and the guy that looked after fail to notice
What do I do with the eggs are they all dead they have not been turned for almost two weeks

You can candle the eggs to check if there is any movement in the eggs. If so, you can continue for some days. You have nothing to lose.

It is very unlikely that they are all dead. I did not realize that my turner was not plugged in when I set my current batch of eggs and they developed just fine. It was at least 7 days before I figured it out.