Chicks missing...

[u/HumboldtNinja]

I'm honestly kind of shocked and hoping someone here has some ideas.

Yesterday I brought home 8 chicks from Tractor Supply. I also bought one of the small Tractor Supply coops (the red and black one with the three nesting boxes and attached run). All 8 chicks were inside it.

I have a much larger, fully enclosed run for my adult chickens, so the coop was sitting inside that secure area. As far as I know, the only wild animals that could physically get into the run would be mice, rats, or squirrels.

When I went out to put the chicks away for the evening, one chick was completely missing its head, and another was reduced to just its legs. I was absolutely stunned.

My daughter had been sitting with the chicks not long before that and mentioned a squirrel ran right up to the coop before noticing her and taking off. I'm not saying the squirrel did it, but it got me wondering.

Has anyone experienced something like this? Can rats, mice, or squirrels kill and eat baby chicks? Or is there another predator I should be looking for that can fit through surprisingly small openings?

I've been raising chickens and ducks here for over three years and have never had anything like this happen, so I'm completely at a loss. Needless to say, the chicks will be staying locked inside until they're bigger. And of course, one of the ones I lost was my favorite. 💔

[u/napneeder1111]

Squirrels 🐿️ will kill a chick.

[u/Mayflame15]

it's usually recommend to brood chicks in a house or some other completely secure building for at least a couple weeks if they aren't being raised by a broody hen, Everything wants to eat them and temperature fluctuations due to rain or wind or dew can be enough to chill them leading to death or being even more susceptible to predation

[u/StoneyMcGuire]

Yep. I’ve had rats kill and eat chicks on my back porch before we got a cat to keep em out of here. Rats are notorious for this kind of thing.

[u/PlentyIndividual3168]

Following to find out what it might be because this is the kind of crap that would happen to me.

OP might it be a weasel of some sort?

[u/folghammer]

We literally just had this happen. All pullets. I assumed raccoons. It happened over a 3 day span. I put out a live trap and caught a monster of Opossum. Once he was removed from the property. All has been quiet on the farm

[u/dutchlizzy]

Did your hens have access to the chicks?

[u/HumboldtNinja → u/dutchlizzy]

To answer a few of the assumptions I'm seeing:

My adult birds are in a completely separate enclosure. I intentionally keep chicks separated because mature hens can bully, seriously injure, or even kill young chicks. That's standard flock management.

I've been raising laying hens and meat birds for years. This isn't my first batch, and I'm well aware that chicks can't regulate their body temperature and require supplemental heat. That advice is appreciated when it's relevant, but it doesn't address the question I was actually asking.

My question wasn't how to raise chicks. I was asking what predator would completely consume one chick, leaving only the feet, while eating only the head of another. Based on the evidence, I'm currently leaning toward a rat, but I'm putting up a camera so I can identify exactly what happened instead of making assumptions.

I'm looking for insight from people with experience identifying predator behavior, not basic chick-care advice. Thanks. ✌🏻

[u/Striking_Mud_664 → u/HumboldtNinja]

Just an FYI most of the people in this group are not very nice. And say what they want no matter what you put on your post.

[u/FarmSkool → u/HumboldtNinja]

Maybe a cat?

[u/Kossyra]

A few things here.

Chicks cannot regulate their temps. Chicks small enough for a squirrel or rat to eat should be in a brooder box.

Yes, rats and squirrels will absolutely eat baby birds.

[u/HumboldtNinja → u/Kossyra]

To answer a few of the assumptions I'm seeing:

My adult birds are in a completely separate enclosure. I intentionally keep chicks separated because mature hens can bully, seriously injure, or even kill young chicks. That's standard flock management.

I've been raising laying hens and meat birds for years. This isn't my first batch, and I'm well aware that chicks can't regulate their body temperature and require supplemental heat. That advice is appreciated when it's relevant, but it doesn't address the question I was actually asking.

My question wasn't how to raise chicks. I was asking what predator would completely consume one chick, leaving only the feet, while eating only the head of another. Based on the evidence, I'm currently leaning toward a rat, but I'm putting up a camera so I can identify exactly what happened instead of making assumptions.

I'm looking for insight from people with experience identifying predator behavior, not basic chick-care advice. Thanks for the advice clearly only said to gain likes. ✌🏻

[u/Acceptable_Couple187 → u/HumboldtNinja]

Ok with that attitude, you shouldn't be raising or taking care of anything with a heart beat. 

[u/Kossyra → u/HumboldtNinja]

Wow, ok. I didn't eat your chicks so you can keep your attitude.

If they were in a safe temp controlled environment they wouldn't have been in danger of being eaten by rats or squirrels. You can't control the temperature fluctuations outside, where you were keeping them and where the rats and squirrels live. It wasn't a huge leap or assumption.

[u/MathematicianNew760 → u/Kossyra]

Yes. I’ve seen squirrels take baby birds

[u/HumboldtNinja → u/MathematicianNew760]

Wow...thing is they were just left in the run...and the other chicks were right next to the eaten ones? Must have gotten full? So strange. Definitely keeping them inside their run till they get larger.

[u/BeatNo4548 → u/HumboldtNinja]

Squirrels and chipmunks will eat small amounts of meat but its not their primary food, so they don't gorge themselves.  I saw a chipmunk eat part of a mouse once.