Four chickens missing in a day

[Jenny421]

I free range all my chickens and we live in 30 acres surrounded by woods, so I realize we have predators. When I counted them all last night as they were on their roosts I realized 4 were missing. We’ve lost chickens before, but not four at a time. We’ve had a raccoon coming around the coop at night, but it’s very secure and it can’t get in. That being said, I ready to shoot it because it has been coming around nightly for almost a month and circles the coop for 30min - 1 hour at a time. But I’m trying to figure out what would have killed 4 chickens in a day. I haven’t found their bodies and they didn’t show up this morning just in case they decided to roost somewhere else last night. Any ideas??

 

[Geena]

Could be pretty much anything big enough to carry the bodies away fox, coyote, bobcat, dog. Lots of predators will kill as many as they can at a time. Only raptors normally just take one at a time.

 

[SilverBirds]

Do you have an estimated time of day they went missing? Foxes are known to take multiple birds at a time.

 

[Jenny421]

Do you have an estimated time of day they went missing? Foxes are known to take multiple birds at a time.

Unfortunately I don’t. I’m home all day and go out often to check on the chickens, but they aren’t always together so I don’t realize any are truly missing until the evening.

 

[Folly's place]

So sorry!
Any birds with wounds? Look them all over carefully.
It's possible that you have one or more hiding, who will return.
Are there trails of feathers, or tracks? Helpful if present. You are keeping your birds inside for now, right? Expect return visits!
Setting up game cameras would be a big help, if you can.
Mary

 

[Jenny421]

Thanks Mary. I’ll go check the others. No obvious wounds, but I didn’t look closely. They are all staying inside today. I went out and looked this morning and didn’t see any trails of feathers. I looked in the areas they typically frequent. We have one game camera and an Arlo camera on the coop. We need more game cameras though. I’m hoping some will show up today. I keep going out and calling them.

 

[WIchickMama]

This is hard, sorry about the missing hens. I don't have any other advice besides maybe keeping them penned up for a couple days. Most predators, once they have an easy meal will come back for more.

 

[Jenny421]

This is hard, sorry about the missing hens. I don't have any other advice besides maybe keeping them penned up for a couple days. Most predators, once they have an easy meal will come back for more.

Yeah, it sucks. I know it’s the risk with free range. I’m planning on keeping them penned up for the next few days.

 

[Folly's place]

Days are not long enough! Game cameras up, and more likely weeks inside. Electric fencing!!!
Mary

 

[arizona_chicken_noob]

It could be coyotes, depending on where you live. All of my losses have been due to coyotes and they can definitely take a bird and run off with it. I even saw one running down the street with a chicken in its mouth. It's an unfortunate aspect of letting them roam I wish it wasn't so.