about 5 of my chickens have almost literaly *poof* vanished in the past 3 weeks or so

[Chickgirl201040]

That does make sense. The roo that I lost was a really really big and pampered light brahma my mom fed him cat food and other treats a lot. we think the protein gave him a grows pert. And I'll have to try the trail cam. This is very off topic but the 3rd picture of the raccoon is a very good picture.

 

[D Kluck]

..invest in a game camera.... $40 at Walmart...then you will know what you are dealing with...

 

[ChickenCanoe]

If shortly before dusk, I'd lean toward fox.
A fox can nab them before they're even aware one is near. I've seen it in action. They're very foxy.
Raccoons usually wait for the cover of darkness.

 

[Chickgirl201040]

that make sense and raccoon do like the darkness they've took half of our babies ones year. But that was when we didn't really know what we were doing now we hardly ever lose a baby until they are free range

 

[thomasboyle]

I've lost birds when I was 75 feet away using a weed whacker, making a ton of noise etc. I walked by the coop and found a pile of feathers where one of my guineas had been. I've switched from free ranging to a fenced in yard with an electric net fence. I let the birds out when I get home from work until sunset. So they get 3 hours of yard time. This was the compromise I had to make to keep them safe. I started this spring with 18 ducks, 20 chickens and 10 guineas, and lost 10 ducks, 1 chicken and 5 guineas, so I had to do something drastic or I'd have nothing left. The ducks and guineas would roam all over. so they took the hardest hit. The chickens stayed close to the coop, and benefited from their cautiousness.

 

[browning6]

I think is sounds a lot like what a fox would do foxes will come and kill one pack it off 100 yards, cash it in a bush then come back for more they are crazy like that.

 

[stressed823]

Im curious to the use of the electric fence. .We have our turkey house in a 6x30x12 ft chain link fenced yard. The problem we have is that we live next to the river which attracts a lot of mink and raccoons ,and have been thinking about running single strand electric fence around the outside of the fence or would we be better to run poultry fence? We are in the process of putting builders wire on the chain link about 2 feet up the fence and 1 foot out the bottom on the ground to stop digging under the fence. Would I have to go to that work if I ran the electric fence on the outside? Thanks for any ideas.

 

[1876 Farm]

Have you considered an owl? I lost around 12 hens (while I was on vacation and a family member was watching the hens). They are very silent and will walk right into the coop to get a bird. There was only 1 or 2 dead birds ever found.

I agree a game cam would be a good purchase, I've been wanting one but haven't taken the time to pick one up.

Good luck with figuring out what's going on.

 

[Chickgirl201040]

Have you considered an owl? I lost around 12 hens (while I was on vacation and a family member was watching the hens). They are very silent and will walk right into the coop to get a bird. There was only 1 or 2 dead birds ever found.

I agree a game cam would be a good purchase, I've been wanting one but haven't taken the time to pick one up.

Good luck with figuring out what's going on.

that would make sense once we went on vacation and my mom would come home ever night and lock them up ( we were just in Kansas city I live in Linwood) but one night she was just to tired and left the coop open and when we got home there were blood and white feathers all in the coop were some thing had kill our silky roo.