Big gray thing killing chicken 1 at a time

[Its Just Us Chickens]

I don't know what it is getting my chickens, but it's killing them off one at a time. It's not bothering eggs that it could get, it's just killing chickens. 2 birds that it got were in a cage. The cage was not damaged, and the spaces are not far enough apart to get a chicken thru, so we're puzzled as to how it got the first one. The second one, it got it's head out and tore it off. The rest were free range birds it's picked off one at a time.

I was in the yard a little bit ago on the trail going to the woods, and there was movement in the brush next to me. I whistled thinking it might be my dog, but then I caught a glimpse of some large gray animal running into the woods. I have no idea what this thing is, but It's gotten the last of my silkies, my banties, and my RIR's. I'm down to a few mutts.

(Why won't it eat the mutts? It could at least eat the extra roosters I have running around. Did it have to get my last silkie hen?)

 

[Its Just Us Chickens]

Oh, and I wanted to add, we had a flashing red predator light right next to the hens it just killed and it didn't deter them.

 

[Ogress]

I would guess raccoon. I know they can get a chicken out of s dog kennel by reaching in about a foot to grab what it can reach, and then it will tear the chicken apart to pieces until the bits are small enough to pull through the wire.

I'm so sorry you lost your silkies. I have a bobcat working my property now, and it goes for hens, not roos. It gets them while they free-range.

 

[wychickenwrangler]

Maybe set some traps, or invest in one of those game cameras. Sorry to hear about your losses.

 

[NixNoodleNumbat]

It could of been a werewolf?
Just suggestion...

 

[Its Just Us Chickens]

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LOL my MIL suggested that too. No telling what's in these woods...

 

[the4heathernsmom]

Maybe a possum....but they usually go for the eggs first!!!

 

[Its Just Us Chickens]

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That's one of the things confusing me. I would think a coon or possum would get the eggs. It's had plenty chance to steal eggs, but it's leaving them alone and just killing birds.

 

[FireTigeris]

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That's one of the things confusing me. I would think a coon or possum would get the eggs. It's had plenty chance to steal eggs, but it's leaving them alone and just killing birds.

Best protein available first.

And if the eggs are 'inside' something he may not want to go -in-

 

[Tala]

A raccoon will pull them through the wire cages.

Daytime attacks by a large grey animal? I'm thinking grey fox, coyote, etc.

You probably have more than one pred. EVERYTHING eats chicken!