Dead Poults

[Useless Keeper]

Hi all

 

We 'released' 450 pheasant poults into one of our pens on Saturday and on the following Monday, we found 20+ dead poults in long(ish) grass outside the pen.

 

Not only was it a sickening sight, as we are a small shoot, but we have no idea what did it. Some birds had no signs that they had been attacked, whereas a few had no heads and a few more had the back of their heads damaged.

 

There have been many different theories - vixen with cubs, tawny owl, mink (we have had them), stoats, polecats, (domestic) cats and buzzards. Although all are plausible in their own right, we didn't have any incident like this last year, apart from buzzards feeding their young!

 

We left the dead birds where they were in the hope that whatever did the dirty deed would return, but despite almost 24/7 vigil for a few days, nothing appeared,

 

As a result, we are setting up a stealth cam to try to identify the culprit, but in the meantime, any help would would be appreciated, particularly in preventing any further occurrences, as we couldn't sustain many more of these losses.

 

Thanks

 

 

[Paul223]

Pluck the birds and look for either talon marks or crushed chests, feel the ribs for breaks

 

Check all of them

 

Report back

How where they laid out?

All over the place or one flat heap?

 

 

Ps, get a lawn mower and cut your grass short so birds don't want to jug in it

[Patrol]

Hi Uk

Sound advice from Paul

 

What's your location, are you near a village

 

I had an incident a few years ago nearly mirror that and it turned out to be two feral cats that had taken up residence nearby , just killed about 40 birds in a low piece of game crop next to a pen and left em there in the cover.

 

While your waiting for the results of the stealth cam have a sit up on a high seat with NV or thermal odd hours, you never know how your luck will pan out

 

Good luck

 

Patrol

[Useless Keeper]

Hi both

 

Thanks for your advice and we have now cut the grass, so hopefully there will be no further roosting in that area.

 

We set up a trail cam, but nothing has appeared on it since, but I would have thought that given the number killed, whatever it was would have returned?

 

The birds were evenly spaced, with their heads (those that had heads) tucked in as though they were sleeping, and no marks on their body when plucked.

 

Although we aren't near a village, there are a few houses 200-300 yards away and cats have been seen on the shoot, so it could have been them.

 

Thanks for your help and I'll let you know if we ever get to find what did it.

[Paul223]

Doubtful it'd be a cat, your looking at fox or owl, owl will take both inside and outside the pen so chances are more likely just fox, is there any chance someone else has shot the fox and you don't know about it?

[dougall]

is pen fox proof?...I would go with fox as most likely due to the number taken in 1 hit.......normally come back for the carcasses/move them further away though.....back of heads is stoat like behaviour but never ever heard of 20 in 1 sitting.....

[Walker570]

Lean towards a polecat ferret or mink. Trouble is you don't know what damage was done initially and what might have been done afterwards, say by amaggie or even a rat.

[scolopax]

Always think fox first, then think of the other options, then go back to fox as your culprit. And 90% of the time you will be right.

 

BTW, this time its a fox.

[leadbreakfast]

Did you walk the grass out to get the birds back in the pen to feed and water?

They could of got out early on and got lost in the long grass

[scotslad]

Was just going to say something similar to lead breakfast, was it wet/cold overnight? or grass long and heavy with dew. Sometimes young birds if not fully hardened off could get chilled of wet/heavy dewed grass esp if cold overnight, esp if they get lost and can't find way back to pen.

 

Taking the haed can be a tawny if found early morn but as someone said they can take bord inside and outsde the pen.

Could be anything or even died of chill and something came along to much on them, seen mice eating meat along backs after tawny has took heads of the roost.

[leadbreakfast]

If you have a lot of long grass inside and outside pen I find it bet to cut as much grass on the outside as possible. Not only will any escapes get lost but when trying to walk your birds back in chances are you will be standing on them and making them fly. Not knowing we're they are will prob fly the wrong way. If cut they can see you and will walk nicely into pop holes. Plus if there are any outside late on will jug under the fencer so should be safe.

Also cut some on the inside around the edges and a ride in the middle and place your feeders and water so can be found easy.