8 Chickens just disappeared?

[Amethyste]

I would say fox or yote.

Racoons usually make a mess there and don't carry off the prey, at least not far off. This is only my own experience tho...all the coon attacks we have ever had, have had evidence left at the scene. They were not exactly subtle.

I know from neighbors and friends tho, that yotes and foxes will carry the prey off and not leave much of a sign at all that they were there other than a few feathers.

 

[dianneS]

Racoons usually make a mess there and don't carry off the prey, at least not far off. This is only my own experience tho...all the coon attacks we have ever had, have had evidence left at the scene. They were not exactly subtle.

This has always been my experience with raccoons too.

I was just informed by my friend that she found some body parts and feathers further from the coop when she investigated further. That has always been my experience with fox too, they carry the prey off and don't make much of a mess. I imagine with the coop door open, they could just return again and again for more grub, of course it could have been a family of fox too. Don't know how prevalent coyotes and bobcats are in our area? But why oh why would she leave the coop door open in the first place, that's just a foolish thing to do!​

 

[rosegal]

Why do you think humans would close the door behind them? If someone has their hands full, they are not going to close the coop.

 

[dianneS]

Quote:
My friend left the coop door open the night the disappearances occurred. I don't understand why she would deliberately leave her coop door open all night, that is a really careless thing to do? No thief opened and closed the coop door? I also said she found feathers and chicken parts, it was definitely animal, not human.

My friend agrees that it had to have been a fox. It seems totally characteristic of a fox or family of fox. She really regrets leaving that coop door open deliberately. She knows it was a foolish thing to do and will never, ever do it again, no matter how hot it is outside.

 

[rosegal]

I think there is a confusion. I thought you said the coop was open. If someone is stealing chickens they aren't going to bother with shutting the door. That is my point, at first you said there wasn't anything left, no feathers, etc. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[Evelle]

im thinking humans took them... dont all pred leave feathers behind??? i think some one took them
opps just saw last post saing feather and animal parts left..

 

[Ema]

my dh accidentally forgot to latch the coop a few weeks ago and we woke up to find half our chickens were missing, no signs of them....then about noonish 4 hours after the disappearance, my dogs were barking I looked out the window and tadda 2o some odd chickens are walking around in my yard they were in the woods. from what I suspect eating yummy stuff, these were my juveniles.

2 days ago I had one go missing, I first thought and look, no signs and then I saw some little signs, a couple droplets of blood and a couple feathers, small feathers, so I knew something took it....turned out to be a bobcat, which scared the poop out of me last night when he/she came back for more and I walked outside to check on everyone after dark, it growled at me and took off for the tall bushes, I ran back inside the house. :-S

Anyhow, if human took them, sorry but they won't be kind enough to lock the door back up, if the door was left open they might have wandered off, a fox with that many chicken would leave you a mess and so would a fox family cause little ones are messy hunters. I vote for animal if you found parts and blood and feathers!!

Good luck,

Ema

 

[lindseythefork]

I wouldn't think raccoon- they are definitely not that "clean" where they won't leave a trace.

Fox or person. OR: something scared them and they ran off somewhere?