Cat killed one of my Silkies.

I completely understand your frustration and I'm very sorry for your loss. We got our first silkie yesterday. How did the cat gain access? My wife and I are currently constructing our coop and everything we read said nothing beats hardware cloth. Just a thought. Hope this helps.

So sorry for your loss. A secure coop and run are a must in your situation. Good sturdy fencing around and overhead of your coop and a very secure coop for the chickens to feel safe at night are a must. Are your chickens closed up in the evening?
 

If you have silkies, it's not the best thing to let them free range without supervision.  They can't fly to get away, and if they have large crests they can't see something coming for them.  It's just a recipe for disaster.

The unfortunate thing about cats is that they are, in many jurisdictions, considered "free roaming", which means cat owners are not bound to keep them in their own yards. You can try talking to your neighbors, but my experience has been that it never helps.  Generally, your only choice is to trap the cat while it's on your own property and take it to the local Animal Control.  The owner may need to pay a fine to get it out and that may encourage them to keep their cat inside, but probably not.  So you need a secure pen where your birds can be safe during the day.

And . . . so sorry for your loss.  

I love cats myself and have 3 that live peacefully with my chickens. They'll try to catch sparrows and other birds but pay no attention to the day old chickies scurrying around them. Go figure  Anyways, I'm so sorry for your loss. If you know who's cat it is, I'd give them a warning then call animal control if you see the cat in your yard again. I think the owners get a warning from animal control the first time and get fined every time they get called back again. If that doesn't work then I'd take the situation into my own hands. Ever heard of SSS? I've stayed up countless hours trying to ambush my chicken killers with not much to show for it. Best tactic for me is to use a live trap, it works while you sleep  Usually if I catch an animal, I scare the living poop out of it, mark it, and release it. Most of the time they never come back, if they do, I make sure they don't come back again...

sorry but your silkies are doomed to get eaten by a hawk or anything that wants them they have NO DEFENSE, something will get them quick. They are small, slow, not smart, from my experience.  If you dont want to supervise try some larger more savvy breed like a samutra or pheonix they are much bigger smarter faster flyers and fiesty.