I rarely talk about death here. It’s something you’re faced with too often on a farm. Over time you come to expect it and harden to it a bit. But then there are those deaths that wreck you and make you wonder if you can continue this lifestyle. The worst ones, for me, are from predators. They’re always shocking, grotesque deaths.
Before moving to the country I didn’t have an issue with wildlife, I didn’t even really think about it. In the city our trash cans were large and heavy so the giant raccoons were just entertaining to watch as they pilfered through the buffet. Possums weren’t something I worried would eat my little dog or effect my life in any way and snakes were rare. All that changes in the country. Animals that used to amuse me or I thought were cute, aren’t. They are death machines that wreak terror and devastation. They can obliterate a flock quickly.
Less than 3 months after moving here I noticed a large possum eating my cats food. I had a farmer tell me to kill it or relocate it or it would kill my chickens. In my city girl mind, this was an extreme way to handle a cute, wild animal. I had never killed anything or had any intention of ever doing so.
My father is a biologist so I asked him about the possum. He told me possums don’t kill and eat chickens. He was wrong. When you move to the country, never discard what a farmer tells you. I was arrogant and listened to education over experience. Since then my father has said several times “Animals don’t read the books.” Meaning, they will behave according to their situation and opportunities.
People have ideas about life that aren’t based in any reality other than their own. So if you’re making the move to a rural life, befriend a farmer, they are a wealth of knowledge based on their own experiences, not books.
Since then, I’ve unfortunately had to deal with several attacks. Once you have an attack the predators typically return and have to be dealt with. Livestock guardian dogs are excellent at keeping attacks at bay unless something gets into your pens/coops where they can’t reach them.
You can start to identify what predator you’re dealing with by what remains they leave behind. Here are some I’ve personally had to deal with:
Raccoons: They tend to kill everything they can. It’s total carnage. They often only leave feathers, blood and heads. Solution: Raccoon-proof everything – they can reach into very small openings and will shred and pull everything through wire enclosures that have openings even an inch in diameter.
Dogs: Kill everything in sight and leave it. Solution: Every situation is different. I would deal with wild dogs differently than a neighbors dogs.
Possums: I’ve seen one literally RUN after a chicken. They usually go for the soft belly area and leave the upper parts of the bird. Solution: They are pretty easily live trapped with cat food.
Snakes: If you notice eggs missing it could be a snake. If you have dead birds and only their heads and necks are wet (WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGE BELOW) then you have a snake predator. They may only kill one or they can kill a flock. Snakes try to eat the bird’s head first then regurgitate when they can’t swallow the body. Solution: You may have to wait up several nights to catch these silent predators (or employ the use of fake eggs to trap them), especially if they already had a big meal but most likely they’ll return.
This was my favorite hen, Babycakes. She was killed by a snake that couldn’t swallow her so it regurgitated her. Note the wet head and neck.