So I get off from work today, look down to my chickens/ducks and notice some feathers scattered around (first thought is hawk attack) But when I didn't find any remains I start searching around and find that my biggest rooster, large pekin duck, Cayuga duck, and a runner duck pair are gone. I found a trail of the roosters feathers (no blood or other remains) leading from the pen, over the fence and into a field by our yard. I found very few feathers from my pekin duck outside of the pen, and some from my cayuga with just the smallest amount of blood inside the pen. No remains or scattered feathers found from the runner pair. These are the only tracks I found INSIDE of the pen, I couldn't find any distinguishable tracks outside of the pen. Located in north central Ohio. Whatever killed them took them whole, and wounded one of my other ducks (fair sized puncture wound on neck) Does anyone have any ideas on what may have done this, and best trapping methods? Thanks!

1st picture looks like dog or coyote 2nd picture looks like a cat

Bobcat? Feeding kits? Seems late in the season for kits but may have been tagging along with momma each one grabbed a bird? I am not experienced with cats so that is just a guess.

I also want to add, the 2 tracks, are the same size, and right in the area that the rooster was killed.

I dont see any claw marks. Cat?

I dont see any claw marks. Bobcat maybe?

Ferile cat maybe?


Osky

put a trap there it will be back

Its hard to tell with pictures but it MIGHT be a small bobcat. Young tom or female. One front foot one back foot. I saw a road kill bobat on 90 a few years back coming out of erie about 20 miles into oh. So i know you have a few up in that corner.

Well it came back twice. The first time it came after i had my animals secured, so it dug up an old carcass and tor that up in the field. (Same prints as before) then tonight, i went down to secure the animals for the night and it was already down there (possibly 2?) It had already gotten another rooster, a hen, and 2 more ducks. I seen its eyes running away, and i have a strong feeling its a coyote(s). No trace of the rooster or hen exept for some feathers, but this time i interrupted it before it got the ducks (pictured below) it was much differnr this time. Not as clean killes, tons of feathers (and some blood) everywhere. I had a trail cam set out, but i was at a funny angle so the only thing it got was a mangled up rooster trying to fight the thing. Im hoping to borrow some traps and set some out in the field and around my pen area.

This was a very short time span also, because I have videos of the ducks fine after dark, the time stamps were not correct on the videos, but it still showed they did this pretty quickly.

Did you happen to take a picture of the prints. That would help a lot of guys on here out you would for sure get a id

Never mind my comment the whole post didn't load at that time for some reason.

Looks like mink or weasel.

Grey fox

x2

It almost seems like what made the tracks and what ate the necks of those birds are two different animals. I've seen hawks and mink eat the necks like that, but larger animals typically eat into the soft part of the body and of course eat more than the smaller critters.

lookey who I caught on trail cam last night! I bet he will be back early tonight trying to beat me putting them in again.