I need some help ID-ing a predator. I've lost 4 chickens in the past 6 months. I have been assuming that it was a raccoon, but as I read more about predator MO's I'm wondering if it might have been something else.
Here are the facts...
In March, the coop and run were left open over night and one chicken disappeared. I found three or four areas in the chicken run and back yard that had a lot of feathers, but no other chicken remnants. The chicken who was taken slept closest to the door; no other birds were hurt.
A few nights later I chased a raccoon out of the chicken run in the middle of the night -- the run door had been left open, although the coop was closed.
In August, I couldn't find one of my hens when I tucked everyone else in for the night. I looked around in her usual outdoor roosting spots and couldn't find her. She made it through the night and decided that she wasn't going to sleep in the coop anymore. She didn't get so lucky the second night, and the next morning I found a few patches of feathers, one bit with a flesh on it, but that was it.
Last week I went out at about 8 PM to close up the coop and chicken run after letting the girls free-range for a couple hours and there was a raccoon in the run. I chased the raccoon out and checked on the girls; only one chicken was in the coop. I looked around, thinking that the others had maybe just been frightened. I could find no sign of one of them. I found a trail of feathers out in the yard from the other one. I hoped that at least one of them might emerge from hiding in the morning, but no. The raccoon I saw was clean and gore-free.
I live in Seattle, which is pretty urban, but I know there are coyotes in the City, and I did see one in our neighborhood 6-7 years ago, but haven't seen any since. It does sound more like a coyote MO, but I have a hard time believing that we had coyotes AND raccoons in our back yard between 6 PM and 8 PM in one evening. Our neighbors have dogs, and many of our neighbors have indoor/outdoor cats who don't seem to be getting snatched up by anyone.
So... who is getting my birds? A single or group of raccoons who work quickly and take the entire bird? A coyote? Have a raccoon and coyote (wearing dramatic capes) joined forces to decimate the urban chicken population as part of their evil plan to take over?
I dunno. Thoughts?
Here are the facts...
In March, the coop and run were left open over night and one chicken disappeared. I found three or four areas in the chicken run and back yard that had a lot of feathers, but no other chicken remnants. The chicken who was taken slept closest to the door; no other birds were hurt.
A few nights later I chased a raccoon out of the chicken run in the middle of the night -- the run door had been left open, although the coop was closed.
In August, I couldn't find one of my hens when I tucked everyone else in for the night. I looked around in her usual outdoor roosting spots and couldn't find her. She made it through the night and decided that she wasn't going to sleep in the coop anymore. She didn't get so lucky the second night, and the next morning I found a few patches of feathers, one bit with a flesh on it, but that was it.
Last week I went out at about 8 PM to close up the coop and chicken run after letting the girls free-range for a couple hours and there was a raccoon in the run. I chased the raccoon out and checked on the girls; only one chicken was in the coop. I looked around, thinking that the others had maybe just been frightened. I could find no sign of one of them. I found a trail of feathers out in the yard from the other one. I hoped that at least one of them might emerge from hiding in the morning, but no. The raccoon I saw was clean and gore-free.
I live in Seattle, which is pretty urban, but I know there are coyotes in the City, and I did see one in our neighborhood 6-7 years ago, but haven't seen any since. It does sound more like a coyote MO, but I have a hard time believing that we had coyotes AND raccoons in our back yard between 6 PM and 8 PM in one evening. Our neighbors have dogs, and many of our neighbors have indoor/outdoor cats who don't seem to be getting snatched up by anyone.
So... who is getting my birds? A single or group of raccoons who work quickly and take the entire bird? A coyote? Have a raccoon and coyote (wearing dramatic capes) joined forces to decimate the urban chicken population as part of their evil plan to take over?
I dunno. Thoughts?
