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culprit????


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Magpie or jackdaw, more likely, I'd say. Do remember that just because a dead poult has been eaten, it doesn't mean it was killed by another creature. They're usually perfectly capable of just keeling over and dying on their own, without any help

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I would say buzzard as well. Tawny owls will kill poults by taking the head off, but its usually a buzzard picking the carcass clean like that.

 

It should be less of a problem as your birds get bigger, we normally lose a few to buzzards in the first week or two.

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Wot time are u finding them? First thing, mid day etc

 

If first thing good chance its a Tawny althou unusual to actually find a tawny eat 1, usually just take the head off and poults are lying at bottom of roosting tree. Often mice will have a wee chew on them on the deck.

Any chance u have any rats on the ground?

 

If through the day could be anything with a hook bill, probable favourites would be buzzards althou Sparrows will do it too, plus a few other outside possibilites

Buzzards or sparrows don't noramally take the head of like that?

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That looks like the head has gone, inside the pen? Most likely owl, and then secondary feeders have eaten the carcass, rats, corvids, buzzard even the other pheasant will have a go!

+1

I have had a tawny killing odd one through the day this year too. If left any length of time its soon picked clean by scavengers (most often buzzards)

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That looks like the head has gone, inside the pen? Most likely owl, and then secondary feeders have eaten the carcass, rats, corvids, buzzard even the other pheasant will have a go!

Agreed,

 

Buzzard does not usually kill inside a pen but it does look like a Buzzard has had a go at the carcase.

 

Was the carcase found inside a pen?, if so and well wooded then maybe rats. If so its time to clear them out.

 

A

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Thanks for replies guys.this happened two days after we put the poults into our release pen in the wood. We buy our poults 7wks old, clip one wing and the pens are not covered. Fortunately, this has been the only casualty so my initial fear that the culprit was gonna wreak havvic has not materialised. 3 mags were shot at edge of pen next morning, maybe the poult was dead and the mags or other poults stripped it......but the head??? Fingers crossed for the next few weeks!

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A buzzard will regularly kill inside a pen once it gets the hang of it.

They sometimes kill more than one at a sitting.

If they have eaten enough or are disturbed you often find a carcase lying on its side with a hole in the diaphragm were the guts has been pulled out. They will kill in the early morning go and roost for the day and return for second helpings late afternoon

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Must admit i have found buzzards killing at all times of the day and like above often more than 1 at a time, our old pen was terrible for buzzards as had a big open sunny bit at front where they could swoop down of high trees and even under cover was a couple of biggish rides that the sparrows would fly down, birds where never safe anywhere, but it was a poory designed pen.

Our new pens are far better so don't have anything like the kills we used to have.

 

As for tawny's fortunately we don't usually get too much bother just the occasional 1 now and again but 3 seasons ago lost 15-20 in 3 nites and this was mid sept and birds were almost full grown as early/mid july poults. Fortunately it has never really came back (touch wood)

Just swooping along roosting trees and taking there heads off, never actually seen a bird killed by a tawny that they have ever ate, usually just a few nibbles out of the back by mice

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Always loose a few to tawnys, touch wood our pens are all in woods so we only loose to buzzards once they get out. Feeding the Buzzrards a good way from the pens helps. Just cover the food heap with a decent centerfire rifle at last light as charlie will soon find the feast.

 

A

Edited by Alycidon
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Tawnys are not native to Ireland so I wud rule that out. Although there was the first recorded sighting in 2013 in co. Down (castleward). They reckon it was blew off course in storms?????? Sound like a real threat though. Still no more casualties, we are having the best weather of year so far over here, great week to release birds.

Tawnys are not native to Ireland so I wud rule that out. Although there was the first recorded sighting in 2013 in co. Down (castleward). They reckon it was blew off course in storms?????? Sound like a real threat though. Still no more casualties, we are having the best weather of year so far over here, great week to release birds.

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Picked 6 up this morning, outside of pen, 4 heads missing and 2 intact.

2intact ribs crushed so more than likely a fox hitting them coming down from roost.

Guess who is going to be there at that time in the morning? Mr HMR and his friend mr 12 gauge loaded with BB, and me of course.

Fingers x.

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Picked 6 up this morning, outside of pen, 4 heads missing and 2 intact.

2intact ribs crushed so more than likely a fox hitting them coming down from roost.

Guess who is going to be there at that time in the morning? Mr HMR and his friend mr 12 gauge loaded with BB, and me of course.

Fingers x.

Best of luck, got my birds home today, got buzzards all over the shoot including 4 youngsters right near 1 of my pens, I'm expecting trouble! Got everything crossed!

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