Single hen

[skye]

We live in a fairly rural setting and our chickens are usually perfectly happy free ranging in the garden while we're at home. But we've had a couple of grisly findings giving us cause for concern in the past week, I was wondering if you guys could help me identify a visitor we've had and whether it would cause harm to our girls?

 

We found part of a bird, probably a pigeon, really just a leg and part of a body, on top of a gate last week, and thought maybe a sparrow hawk had dropped it while flying overhead, so we thought nothing of it. But then yesterday our neighbour told us he found a headless pigeon in his garden with lots of blood . i remember noticing the girls going absolutely stock still yesterday while they free ranged... you know that thing they do when they're listening? They were like statues for a few minutes, i went out to see what was going on and i could hear a bit of rustling through the hedge at about the place where my neighbour later found the bird.

 

Since yesterday's discovery I'm too nervous to let our girls out so far today, worried in case there's a fox or a mink about. What do you guys think? What sort of animal would do this? Is it any cause for concern would you say?

 

Skye

[urbanchick]

Sounds like a fox to me. I don't think a cat would catch a pigeon. Is there any evidence of foxes, e.g. droppings in your garden?

[Cinnamon]

Sounds like a fox to me. I don't think a cat would catch a pigeon. Is there any evidence of foxes, e.g. droppings in your garden?

 

Well, I would disagree with you on that one I am afraid.

 

My sisters cat is a big pigeon catcher.

He drags them in through the catflap & lets them free in her flat,still alive

You wouldn't believe the mess they can make

 

He has got 4 in the last fortnight

[Lydia]

Yes my cat has had a pigeon before now too. Luckily she didn't manage to get in the house though.

 

Mind you my chickens also killed a pigeon a couple of weeks ago who flew into their run while they were free ranging. They literally tore it up in the time it took me to rush from the lounge, trip over the hoover and run into the garden

[Aga n Chickens]

Hello

 

If it is a fox you will notice a distinct smell as if they are marking where they have made a kill.

 

We live in and area visited by many foxes. Before we had chickens, my OH had left a pair of gardening shoes outside the kitchen door overnight. He didn't notice that they were missing the following morning but found them later at the bottom of the garden.

 

When I arrive home a terrible smell greeted me as I walked into the kitchen and it took me a while to find that he had brought his shoes back into the house.

 

The fox had pinched them and sprayed them before leaving them in the garden possibly to return at a later date for them.

 

OH had to throw the shoes away eventually as no amound of fresh air and scrubbing would get rid of the smell

 

Although I have not seen a fox since we've had chickens, I know that they are still about because they frequently spray along the side of the house and we have to treat the whole area with Jeyes fluid to get rid of the pong.

 

Kind regards,

 

Christine

[Gamebird]

You can't always smell when a fox has been around.

 

I have several foxes that visit me everyday and leave their deposits near the house, chicken enclosure and stables.

 

I can't smell a thing unless of course I stand in it.

[Olly]

Cats most definitely can catch pigeons ... and get them through the catflap! The fact that it was left on a gatepost suggests a fox to me, I've seen this before where they leave either food or scat (poo) on top of a wall or gatepost.

 

Cats tend to take their prey home, or to a favourite place to consume it.

 

Afraid that I wouldn't take any risks with free-ranging, you would be extremely lucky not to have a fox somewhere in the area.

[quickcluck]

Am afraid my sisters cat also catchs pigeons, rats and rabbits!!! He drags them through the flap and leaves bits as little prezzies, usually just a rabbit foot, obviously he can't manage a whole one

[Egluntyne]

My sisters cat once caught a fully grown male pheasant and tried to drag it in through the cat flap, so a cat would be capable of catching a pigeon.

 

Foxes are often accused of biting the heads off prey, but I have never heard of them laying their catches out on gates.

[E4eggs]

I feel it sounds like a fox.

 

Where I used to live there was a tall double walled arch into our garden, it must have been about nine or ten foot high. At the top there was a kind of trough in which there was earth into which you could plant things (I did, but it eventually became very weedy as you had to climb a ladder to it to dig, plant and weed it). One day I noticed some pidgeon feathers sticking bolt upright out of the earth. I meant to get around to pulling them out, but mentioned it my OH, who immediately got a ladder. I am so glad I didn't as when he pulled the feathers out they were tail feathers still attached to a pidgeon that a fox had buried. The earth was a very narrow strip and it must have climbed up and really stuffed it in. There was no earth around the floor or anything, it was a very neat job. I'm so glad I left it to OH as I would have fallen off said ladder!!! As it was I was just standing underneath having an attack of the vapours!

 

We often find feathers around the garden and recently a pidgeon wing.

 

This week when I went to local swimming pool a fox was wandering around the car park just three or four feet away from people.

[Sandychick]

Although cats do catch pidgeons, this doesn't sould like a cat did this. Cats tend to pull all the feathers out and scatter them everywhere, then leave the bits of pidgeon they didn't eat in the middle of it all:vom:

 

Could be a mink. I lived on a narrowboat for years and we had them on the canals. They do pull heads off ducklings and leave them lying about. I've only seen them at ground level though! I think the end result would look simular to if it was a fox. Maybe ask the neighbours if thay have seen either about.

 

I think it would be a good idea to be cautious with the hens until you find out what it is.

[half dozen]

can I ask what a fox dropping looks like?

[BrunswickBB]

The ones I find in the field are a bit like a small dogs poo, but lighter coloured and rougher textured...often with berries and other things in...

 

(never thought I'd be describing poo in so much detail! )

 

[half dozen]

thanks for that!x

[Sandychick]

I asked this once and got some lovely fox poo pictures. Have a look at this link if you've finished your dinner

 

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=28361

[half dozen]

Im now wondering if we have had a fox now??thought ours were big hedgehog poos but maybe not

[Dinkychick]

Do badgers catch birds? just a thought....

[Omletina Kyckling]

Hi,

 

My cats catch pigeons and have been known to decapitate them, just leaving the bodies....so it could be a cat?

 

I once got up in the night without putting the light on and stepped on a headless crow...

[Joojoo]

My cats have caught pigeons too though it can't have been Parsley (usual culprit) on the last occasion as he always leaves them oven ready (plucked)

[new chick]

Yep picture is fox pooh.

 

Usually this is trucked in the dog collier after a good rolling around.

 

I live with open countryside at the back of my garden. Have seen foxes in the fields, but not in garden YET!

 

Dog roams around garden during the day.

 

I have hen house is on concrete slabs (8x 3 run), surrounded by electric fence.

 

Girls are let out at 12 noon until bed time in 25m2 electric free range area.

 

Hope dog and fence is enough to keep out fox.

 

I also have alarm on fence to warn of low battery.

 

Does not matter if Fox, Cat or Mink - there is a bird killer around.

 

I've also heard Badgers do this, but they would not be able to get on top of gate post

 

Protect your birds

 

NC