Decapitated bunny outside coop/run

[Dace]

I went out to let the girls out this morning and paused as I caught a glimpse of something on the grass right in front of the coop. A decapitated bunny. Actually it was missing it's head and front legs.

I used to have a cat that would eat all of the bunny and leave it's innards and or head....but what on earth would just eat the head and legs?

It was stiff, so it happened during the night, it was fairly clean and no blood around on the ground. What could have done that?
Now I am worried about my girls!!

 

[freemotion]

A chicken hawk got through my netting somehow and ate the top half of one of my chicks last week. Robin-size chicks. No problems with the full-size poultry, but it is the reason I don't keep bantams with my free-ranging policy.

Make sure you have a fortress!

 

[sylvie]

I had the same question a while back and this topic contains some ideas:

http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2083

I still don't know because there hasn't been a repeat, lol!

 

[Up-the-Creek]

....but what on earth would just eat the head and legs

Something hungry and in a hurry.

 

[Dace]

Wow, I thought for sure someone would say..."Oh, that is a such and such critter"

Shoot. Now I am really concerned.

I know it was not my dog, he was inside and the only critter he has ever hurt was a mouse that he swallowed whole (and live) in an effort to beat the cat to it

If it had been a coyote, it would have eaten the whole rabbit.

Don't know if we have weasels, never heard of one around here.

We do have the occasional raccoon I have seen them dead in the road once a year or so in other parts of town...although don't they live in forest-y areas with lots of trees? We are more scrub brush.

A rat certainly could not have caught and killed a bunny out in the open...maybe if they were contained?

A neighbor about a mile away has an owl house, but wouldn't an owl have eaten the fleshy parts?

I am stumped.

 

[rebecca100]

I found half a rabbit last week. It was a baby though. Cat ripped it through the wire. Was it pulled from a cage or free run? I don't know of anything that would target just the head and front legs to eat though if it were free run and not been ripped. I would definately make sure the others were safe.

 

[Dace]

It was a wild rabbit, did I mention that?
We have them in our yard all the time.

 

[rebecca100]

Wow, now that really is weird! Definately keep your chickens safe!

 

[Blackbird]

I'm going to guess a clumsy owl/bird of prey.
Their talons can pretty easily tear the head off.

 

[big brown horse]

I'm going to guess a clumsy owl/bird of prey.
Their talons can pretty easily tear the head off.

Really?! Yikes! Didn't realize how strong they were!

My first thought was either a coyote or a large feline type thing like a bob cat.

Sorry Dace! At least it wasn't your chickens. Maybe the bunny was trying to get to the leftover chicken feed and got pounced upon. My bunny eats the chicken feed at night when the girls are in bed.

I have tons of wild rabbits around here right now. I am happy they are keeping the coyotes happy so they don't look for chickens to eat.

You need an outside junk yard dog...or "livestock gurdian dog", you get them at the pound. My dog gives me such a piece of mind. She loves it outside and she rocks!