A few months ago, I posted about my chickens disappearing and was wondering whether it was the dog or coyotes. We have a Redbone Coonhound mix that's now a year old. When he was 6 months old in June, DH left him unsupervised with the chickens (I was gone for the week and told him DO NOT trust the dog alone with them, but that's a whole 'nother story). He killed at least 11 of them. DH beat him and thought that would solve the problem. (Yes, I know that's not the answer, I wasn't there to deal with it. DH is old school, he did what he thought was right.) We didn't have another problem until Oct. when 5 of my 6 new birds disappeared in two days. First one, then four the next day. DH was gone that day, too. Chickens got locked up after that. I was convinced it was coyotes because we have a lot of them out here, and I know they live not too far from the building site. We just started letting them free range again a couple of weeks ago. DH has left them unsupervised a few times, no problem. Today he was gone for an hour, and one of my chickens got killed. My rooster has a puncture wound on the back of his neck, but seems fine otherwise. Found the hen laying on the edge of the field where I've seen the feather trails from the Oct. kills with her head missing. That's it. Feathers missing on the breast, no blood, just headless. Dog was up at the house by the time DH got home, so he didn't see the dog with the bird, but it's the only conclusion I can draw at this point. I will take the blame for some of this as I was unable last summer to work on training him due to some health problems. DH did tell me that he will not leave the dog out ever again when the chickens are out. That's the only way we will know for sure it was the dog. (I keep hoping it's not, but I have a feeling I'm wrong)