Ive got something killing young pheasants in their pen. Eating only the heads. Killed 7 birds last night. Only entry points are rat sized holes. Any idea what could be doing this damage? Mink or weasels? Will rats take birds? Any help appreciated.

owl

I'VE HAD MINK DO THE SAME THING TO MINE.

Rats will kill birds. Usually there are rat holes around the pens.

Most likely and day time hawk attack sounds to me . . Hawk flys in and gets the birds to fly up hitting the top of the net and the hawk grabs them by the head . Eats head off and goes next . You could clip one wing on the birds so when they go to fly they just flip over . Never clip both sides only one side .

Hawks get really good at this game . They will learn to fly in and grab the net and shake it up and down to your birds fly up .

Flight netting can't be smaller because the blinders on birds will get hung in the netting + the snow will build up on the netting .

Watch your flight pen at day break and you'll see that hawk fly in . Could be more than one .

Adding cover in the pen could help some . Pine tree works well or them fake Xmas tree you see out to the garbage work good for cover .

If you plan to raise birds you will learn things like you need a electric fence around the bottom edge . The pen needs to be clean . Horse wormer kills crop worm . Crop worm makes a bird stand up like a penguin and will kill every bird you have . Add sand to your pens so there no standing water and the birds can dust in it . Plant your pens and let them grow up good before you add birds . Don't add new birds . There's a really good book out on this stuff and is a must have when raising game birds . It's called upland game birds there breeding and care . It's wrote by Leland B Hayes ph.D . This book covers it all and if it doesn't I have even called the guy . Raising birds at first is easy and problems start down the road as your finding out . This is just a start the head eating there's lots of other problems to come .

x2...... and my pen was covered with chicken wire to prevent avian predation.

Rats could make the openings just to get the bird feed, also.

You didn't mention if yours is covered.

X2

I've done quite a few rat jobs on poultry farms. Rats will kill and consume birds, usually starting at the head.

thanks for the input fellas.Yes, I forgot to mention that the pens are fully enclosed, including netting. except for the rat holes, no visible way (that i can locate) to enter the pens. setting cameras and hope to get a few picture of the culprit(s).

Rats could be sneaking in at night and eat out of the feeders . Go catch a rat and throw it in a pheasant pen and watch the cartage. Could throw a snake in there to and same thing the pheasants go dinner time . If it was a mink he would kill every one of them and then feed . Put a cam on highest point of the fly pen and you'll see your bird . Owl would have been back every night til. He had them . A owl could do this but it's a hawk or hawks . They will come more after it cools down . Spring time they can get really bad . They will get your best bird to every time .pheasants crave protein and have no problem feeding on rodents or each other .

Do not underestimate the rats themselves. Trust me, they aren't just grain eaters, they can be blood thirsty killers when it comes to poultry and domestic rabbits.