Chickens Everywhere are Rejoicing as the World that I Knew Comes to an End.

[Patler]

No Rhode Island Reds? Had some but kept finding with the heads gone. They had free range of the backyard. Not sure what did them in but suspect this feral cat mom that showed up did it.

Weasels were the culprits on the farm when we found headless chickens.

[MadtownPacker]

There are hawks, foxes, possums, and owls around here. Figure hawks and owls wouldn’t have just taken the head. Foxes maybe but this happened in the day and the night. I have never seen one pit in the open. Always hiding. The reason I blame the feral cat is because both times it happened she had just had kittens so thinking it was a postpartum massacre.

[hoosier]

When our chickens have shown up headless I have always suspected racoon or fox. Hawks just kill the fuckers, peck em to death, then leave when the realize the prey is too heavy to fly off with. Skunks go after the eggs, and if they don't find any they might eat the chickens guts out. I am going to send this report to Rand and have him translate into Radagastese.

[George Cumby]

Which ones taste best?

The eggs are great.

My sweet kids won't let me butcher any of their chickens. Even the asshole roosters.

[George Cumby]

Neighbors dog got a couple. Put a round of #4 birdshot into its' ass, hasn't been back since.

Skunks were getting the eggs then graduated to the birds. Like Hoosier said, they like the evisceration method. Live trap and .22 to the head.

Pack of coyotes rolled through one night when I was out of town, whacked the three roosters. Kids were devastated. Me, not so much.

Had one Rhode Island Red, really broody. Was hoping she'd actually raise a clutch of eggs. Forget who killed her.

[MadtownPacker]

Sounds like your roosters fought to the finish. Bad mofos.

Yeah, I miss the eggs. They made everything even cheap ass cake mix better. Now I just buy watery store ones.

You ever give them mealworms. I had one trained to jump in the air and peck it from my hand. I would rattle the bag and they would come running full blast to me. If you haven’t get a bag for the kids to try. It was like crack to them (the chickens).

[hoosier]

Yup, mealworms--and the rattling sound--is how our kids get them to leave the neighbors yard, come back under the fence and get their asses in the coop. The sights and sounds of backyard massacres never taught them a thing, but they can learn to associate a vague rattling sound with tasty treat. I guess the instinct for self preservation starts and stops in the stomach.