What was at my chickens?

Gloomtastic!

Hi all,

Got woken up last night by a terrible ruckus in the chicken coop. Went out and there was two out of the six very agitated, the other four were still on their roosts. Lots of feathers everywhere but no damage done so closed everything up and went back to bed.

This morning, the automatic door wasn’t working so went to fix it. The wire had been chewed through but there was also six slash marks on the cord - see pic.

Whoever was in there got in/out through the roof.

We’re in the middle of Dublin and we have a fox who comes by most days but the electric fence keeps him out.

What would have done this? I’m baffled.

Aviano

You might have a pine marten. They are very intelligent, once he knows that the chickens are there he will be back.

Gloomtastic!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120636596#Comment_120636596

If it is, the sharpness of their claws to slice through the cable! There’s six slashes……

10-10-20

Any chance that cable had been hit by a mower beforehand?

Gloomtastic!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120637039#Comment_120637039

No. I’d repaired the cable a couple of weeks earlier. No blades near it since. The rough cut through the cable suggests it’s been chewed.

Stigura

You're 'Baffled'? Ye not the only one!

What sort of electric fence are ye using? Mesh, or strand?

What makes ye say it came in through the roof? Now that I think about it; What makes ye think it *got in* anyway? Sounds like it went to some trouble, just to scare the hell out of two chickens. Leaving four at peace.

Where was the cable, in relation to everything else, please? A more panoramic shot may help?

I was just struggling like hell there, to think of that American actors name. Short lad. *Tom Cruise*! Just imagining him; Sliding down on a thin trace. Scratching at the coop. Whispering to ask if they'd 'Heard The Message' ~ or what ever it is his crew say.

Those 'slashes' would suggest three chomps, wouldn't they? Carnassial teeth *could*, potentially do that. About on the level with the priest, hanging a kitchen window curtain, when he slips and falls on a cucumber though, isn't it? Not exactly Impossible ...

It wasn't a rodent, anyway. So, that leaves us the usual suspects. Stoat, Marten, Fox, Badger, Otter, Ferret, Cat, Dog.

Those cuts are perfectly spaced. Measuring them would give us an indication of the jaw size. Stoat's straight out the window then. Martens are Known wire biters. (Do it under parked motors. Something in the plastic, they reckon) How big's the hole in the roof? Which of those left might fit through it?

But, then; Which ~ if any ~ of the rest would Not have massacred the whole lot, had it got in?

My money's on that f***er, Tom Cruise 🚁 I'll look forward to reading further discussion.

Gloomtastic!

Ha! Mission Impossible indeed! 😝

They moved a large tile on the roof and got in through the hole. That’s been fixed and they haven’t been back, yet.

The Continental Op

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120673325#Comment_120673325

Any chance they just bulldozed the tile out the way? Badger is still a possible if he could get up there.