poults attacked???

[gibbo1973 187]

one was only near the grid so poss a stoat ,the rest in pens ? these are 9 wks old now we dont have pine martins and mink is very very rare where we are

i'll get a pic hopefully t'morra if any more dead

[foxfan 479]

Feckin 'ell, just about every predator in Britain has been mentioned. I reckon it was Lee Harvey Oswald, have you got a book depository near the pens ?

[danw 1,748]

Any chance of this weekends lottery numbers lads cause there,s more chance of guessing them than knowing whats killed they poults without knowing all the facts and seeing a carcass.chances are that it is more than one culprit anyway .

[paulus 26]

Any chance of this weekends lottery numbers lads cause there,s more chance of guessing them than knowing whats killed they poults without knowing all the facts and seeing a carcass.chances are that it is more than one culprit anyway .

the instigator and the beneficiaries

[Lab 10,979]

Well you say that but if the heads are off in numbers then its a fox or an owl...... But as the lad stated the boy who looks after them is only there once a day so i reckon there could be a number of culprits also......

[danw 1,748]

Any chance of this weekends lottery numbers lads cause there,s more chance of guessing them than knowing whats killed they poults without knowing all the facts and seeing a carcass.chances are that it is more than one culprit anyway .

the instigator and the beneficiaries

 

Aye it,s oft overlooked

[killbilly 17]

My money would be on mink!! - never underestimate the little b*xturds!!

[cannyman 0]

def rats had same few weeks ago taking birds 2 3 months old older birds in same pen not touched anything they can overpower they will had 2 put poisen down an secure pens.still tryed to dig there way in.you got to get rid of them anyway you can other wise they will not stop.

["Earth!" 503]

if its getting pulled through the fox grid then wont be an owl mate BOP will eat at intervals so its a ground predator that can fit through grid so your have four main species 1.weasal 2.stoat 3.rat 4. small/young pine martin! that leaves you with couple options if its a pine martin deterants or if its other 3 fenn trap with grid on the box also to find out what it is use a camera like stealth one put it where the carcess is being pulled through when the suspect walks by bang got picture evdince and take your method of control from there!!

Its hard to tell but now that he has said that the lad looking after them is there once a day then it could be lots of things. If he is 100% sure that a cub has not got in then i'm still sticking with owl.....its a trademark style for them to whip the heads off. The one pulled through the fox grid could be anything like a stoat, weasel, mink, ferret......to hard to tell really. I dont think its a rat by any means, these are 7/8 week old poults i'd imagine...a rat wouldn't bother them.

very true tawneys have a reputation for taking the heads off poults, a good look at the bodies is the only sure way to tell really

 

IM with you 2 on this, tawney.

[MOO 730]

def rats had same few weeks ago taking birds 2 3 months old older birds in same pen not touched anything they can overpower they will had 2 put poisen down an secure pens.still tryed to dig there way in.you got to get rid of them anyway you can other wise they will not stop.

wild animals will always take the easy option so imo rats would rather feed from the hoppers that attack healthy poults

["Earth!" 503]

def rats had same few weeks ago taking birds 2 3 months old older birds in same pen not touched anything they can overpower they will had 2 put poisen down an secure pens.still tryed to dig there way in.you got to get rid of them anyway you can other wise they will not stop.

wild animals will always take the easy option so imo rats would rather feed from the hoppers that attack healthy poults

doubt the mink or polecats too.

[burnie69 376]

I'm saying a tawny owl head off and mostly guts out off the side. If he plucked 1 without ripping the skin he'd see more damage if it was a cub,ferret or mink they still have to catch em to take the heads off.He should be able to see talon marks and rips in the flesh or skin but if he only checking once aday they could be anywhere up to 23 hours old so something could be killing and another culprit could be eating em.I suggests he finds a fresh kill and he'll have more of a chance to establish whats doing it.

[Bootsha 1,306]

Now then, going on the heads off etc , i had a visitor last year to my chickens, very similar evidence, i laid my trap ( Ray mears special forces trained etc), and a day or so later, i was over feeding hens etc and my little girl said to me, theres a ferret in your trap dad, so i takes a look to see a tick ridden brute of a polecat, had another a few months later, just killing for the hell of it. His visits were curtailed as well. A bop ( if large enough) will try and drag the prey if they cant fly off with it, a very intelligent one would, and come back for a second helping, i'm talking goshawk, and again i'm speaking from experience, if its one of them, and i hope for your sake its not, you'll have to catch it, and obviously realease it elsewhere

[samba 534]

what ever is doing this it needs to be stopped quickly or it will

become costly in the end atb

if you catch/kill the culprit let us know

[gibbo1973 187]

im off out after work afternoon shift so it'll be a late one so may see something non gone since sun, mon and today ok but not caught it ?????????????