All 5 chickens dead or missing

[brendave]

My chickens free ranged. I knew it was risky and I was planning on getting the run finished this spring. I ran out of time last fall and the ground froze before I could get the posts in. I only found one carcass, my buff orpington. Only her neck was eaten. I've found the feathers of the other 4 but no bodies. We've been hearing something in the woods for the last couple of days.

What attacks during the day and would carry the bodies off? And why would it leave one behind?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Possibly fox, coyote, dogs, wolverine, etc.

I know it is a horrible feeling and I feel your pain but a real lesson on preparation.
Here, April and May are the critical times to make sure nothing can have access to the birds.

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

Vulpine, canid, mustelids, birds of prey.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Mustelids and birds of prey won't carry all the birds away.
Mustelids won't and it would take a group of hawks to do so.
Neveroverlook the possibility that there was a kill by one type of predator and other types took advantage of an opportunistic dinner.

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

Mustelids and birds of prey won't carry all the birds away.
Mustelids won't and it would take a group of hawks to do so.
Neveroverlook the possibility that there was a kill by one type of predator and other types took advantage of an opportunistic dinner.

Certain mustelids will cache kills after a killing spree (hen house syndrome) to feed developing young.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

That's true. We don't have the species where I live that can carry all the birds out of a building to cache them.

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

That's true. We don't have the species where I live that can carry all the birds out of a building to cache them.

They do where the OP is from. We have weasels here that surplus kill voles and our red foxes have been known to surplus kill and cache chickens.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Right. Our red and grey foxes can do this damage. The mink and weasels have only killed everything in a building but not eaten anything or carried them off.
We're supposed to have wolverines, luckily they haven't found me. They and fisher could, I imagine, carry off a whole flock.
Bobcat, lynx and mountain lion are also possibilities. But we don't know the whole setup and access.

 

[brendave]

I knew it was risky. I was just telling my daughter that this time of year was dangerous because the wild things are hungry after winter. My chickens free ranged during the day when the dogs were out to chase off vermin. Lesson learned - the predator proof run will be going in this spring BEFORE I get any more chickens.

 

[brendave]

I found 4 of the chickens alive later this evening. All are wounded, one I don't think is going to make it. She has deep wounds on her back, she's unable to get up on the roost, and isn't supporting her weight with one of her legs. I put Vetericyn on her wounds.

I think we also saw the culprit. It looks like a 45-50 lb cat. My daughter and I just happened to look out my bedroom window into the back yard where we saw it stalking what later turned out to be the most gravely wounded of my chickens. All are locked safely in the coop. Of course, it was my favorite hen that was killed today. She's sitting on my shoulder in my profile picture. I am heart sick still but so happy the rest of my girls are home.