All 6 chickens dead!

[ChickenMommy]

My neighboor woke up this morning and went outside to feed her 6 RIR and found them gone!
The window had been torn off and their were feathers everywhere!
We found 2 dead chickens and did not find the others!
She is devistated!

 

[nuchickmama]

How awful!!! I am so sorry. We lost one of our Red Star pullets to a hawk this past winter. Their run is too large to cover with netting. My DH thinks I'm paranoid about my chicks, but I can see what happens and we have every kind of predator out there. Sounds like it may have been a coon IMO. Again, sooo sorry!

 

[barg]

Sorry to hear about that.

Any ideas what could have done it?
Must have been pretty strong to tear the windows off.
That's one of the worries I have, that the racoons will try and tear the windows/ egg doors off, I was reglueing the egg doors last night to try to make them stronger.

 

[ChickenMommy]

we think it was probably a coon

 

[Motherhenandflock]

How terrible! Here's some info I found on Welp's site about raccoons:
Takes small birds whole, adult guineas, grown ducks, large turkeys and geese-eaten where killed, eats breast only, usually takes head off too, but not always. Adept at squeezing through openings and using paws to remover birds from cages if cage door is flexible. Will come back nightly or every other night (even if freed from trapping). Loves eggs. Bits of coarse fur may be found attached to entry. Strong animals, need good traps-four spring-type jump traps set near entry.

Do you have access to a live trap? You can put some smelly food in there and maybe catch the culprit. I bet there is more than one. Or a mother with babies in tow.
Or your local Fish and Game Dept. might have some ideas. They might have live traps you could borrow.
Good luck!