MIA chickens!!!!

[coleman517]

So I had 24 chickens the free range and have a coop they go into at night. One night 3 never showed up and I thought they might the next day but they never did. Now this morning I went out to let them out and I have a lot mossing. There is a hole on the side of the coop that looks like something dug. There are no bodies or blood but a ton of feathers both in the coop and out. What kind of predator is this?

 

[Tumbling K]

So I had 24 chickens the free range and have a coop they go into at night. One night 3 never showed up and I thought they might the next day but they never did. Now this morning I went out to let them out and I have a lot mossing. There is a hole on the side of the coop that looks like something dug. There are no bodies or blood but a ton of feathers both in the coop and out. What kind of predator is this?

where are you located?

there are so many potential predators, knowing your location, would help narrow it down.

a quick google search, for predators in your area will give you as much information as you need to begin narrowing it down.

any tracks in or around the coop? around the point of entry?

 

[uncertainty]

Sorry about your bird loss. In my areas coyotes can be determined diggers and tough to get rid of. The cattle ranchers around me are pretty diligent about keeping the coyote population in check.

 

[Manningjw]

I have lost several chickens to raccoons. Usually I find a pile of feathers and limited amount of blood when they attack. They always take the birds with them like your attack. They often follow trails and it sounds like you are dealing with more than 1 animal having so many losses. My suggestion would be to set up a camera and several baited traps. Do you grow any crops? If you are experiencing any other loses or damage to crops it could suggest which predator as well. I lost most of my corn to the raccoons as well.

With dogs/coyotes/foxes, sometimes people find several dead birds that were killed and would have been dragged off given enough time. A friend of mine that had loses weasels had blood and dead birds left behind as well but this is also possible since your predator is digging. It is possible you have a fox or coyote problem as well depending on where you live.