What took my chickens?

Hi,

I'm a bit distraught over losing my chickens and I just need some input if anyone has any ideas.
I came home from work to find a massacre in my barn area. 5 of my chickens are gone including my white silky Rooster named Reuben, and the other two chickens I found on the ground. I found a possum with one chicken but I think he just got the carnage that was left over. I am suspecting a fox but I can't figure out why a fox would not take two of the bodies. Whatever took them, chased the chickens all over in daylight so I know it wasn't the possum although I wanted to kill the possum just for the simple fact he was there and I had no one else to kill. So will a fox kill a bunch and then carry them off individually. Why kill it and not carry it off. They say dogs just leave the chickens laying since they kill for sport so I don't think it was a dog.

I went back to work and this happens. I have to let them out an hour earlier or they stay cooped up all day. I love my chickens and I'm very sad that they suffered.

Thanks,
Cheryl

Do you have coyotes in your area?

I agree coyotes would do this.

Very sorry for your losses. Could also be a bobcat. Around me, coyotes hunt at night, and bobcat during the day. Do you have access to a trail camera? It will allow you to see what is coming around. You can get some good ones for around $100. I have 4 setup around my property, and I can keep tabs of what is coming and going, and if I lose a chicken or a duck, I will have a good idea of who did it.

Call the crime branch, inspect the area, find for clues, shortlist the suspects, file a report with the police, install CCTV cameras with night vision in the coop.best of luck

Yes we have coyotes but this was done in the daylight. I tend to think it's coyote or fox...I have never seen a coyote in daylight so not sure if they will come out in the morning that late? I did some reading after I posted the question and it says a fox gets excited and kills everything and then drags them off to eat but obviously didn't get back for the last two. I have one injured chicken..they are all very afraid. I can't even think what they went through and I wasn't here to protect them.

I let them out in the daytime and put them up at night. I always let them out late because of the fox but my job changed my hours and I have to leave at 9am now. All was quiet when I got home at 4:45 pm and it was still light although getting dark. I put my goose in the backyard when I leave. Not sure why they left her alone. I am assuming a fox could climb chain link but maybe it's too close to the house...I am not sure. My barn is not that far away from the house.

Any recommendations for a night camera that also works in daytime? I know to keep my birds up for the next few days. I will be terrified to let them out even later. I 'm sure they need some time to recover from that.

I did find some poop in the field which could've been raccoon or fox. Too small for a coyote I think. It could've been the possum's too.

Thanks,
Cheryl

Coyotes do come out during the day. If they are hungry they will come out at anytime. My husband sees them all the time and I have almost lost a dog a couple times fighting them during the day.
Do you have a cabelas in your area? They could help you find a good camera.

Fox or raccoon. I've seen it done by raccoons like that, but only at night. Although I have seen RABID coons out in daylight. I don't think coyote just be cause if it being daylight and coyotes are strictly night hunters.

I would be pretty certain to look for a fox. And it probably got greedy and overexcited and killed too many to carry; I've also had THAT happen, and it made my blood boil

Best bet if its a fox is to keep the hens contained until you can trap or shoot it, because it will keep coming back until it gets every single bird since it now knows there's a buffet at your place

I'm so sorry you have to deal with this.

I'm not letting them out anytime soon...they feel safe in their stall and they deserve that after what they went through.

I live in the middle of nowhere so I have to buy on Amazon or Walmart.

I took my small yorkie outside on a leash and we walked the perimeter of the fencing and she peed so I'm hoping that will let the fox have second thoughts about coming inside. I do let my goose roam freely unless I'm gone and she will let me know if she sees anything. I'm off work two days so can watch for the fox/coyote to come back. I'm pretty sure it's a fox now. Sadly now that I can see the carnage, some of the chickens flew out of the pasture but the fox still got them.

I have a 30x40 barn and the fox chased them all over the inside of the barn, because feathers are everywhere. So whatever it was had to be small to move back and forth between the slats. Sadly the chickens had plenty of places to fly up and be safe but they didn't do that because they panicked.

Thanks for listening. Only bird lovers can understand the grief I have for my chickens who I loved. I had my girls for 5 years so they had a good life out in the sunshine.


Cheryl

I have seen wolf pee advertised. I am unsure about Colorado but I have killed coyotes almost every year while they were hunting in the daylight. A rooster will call one up crowing just like a turkey. You may not have had one killer but two or more. I have seen coyotes together more than fox.