Birds just gone in the night

[cottontail farm]

So this spring I lost 4 free ranging ducks in the middle of the night. No feathers no blood, nothing. Just poof, gone. Set up the game camera thinking whatever took them would be back. Never saw anything.
Over the summer we've seen fox, opossum and raccoons on the camera. The only thing recently was an opossum.
Last night I didn't close the coop door and again I am missing several birds. No blood no feathers just gone like last time.
I keep ducks and geese in the same fenced in area as the coop but didn't hear any racket during the night.
Any idea what i'm dealing with?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Could it be the 2 legged type?
I doubt it is opossums or raccoons. There would be some evidence.
It could be fox since they'll carry them off.

 

[theoldchick]

I vote fox. They snap the neck and carry their victim to the den to eat. An experienced Fox is fast and knowledgeable on how to kill chickens. They'll snatch one so fast at times the other chickens near them don't even set off an alarm. The younger fox who is still learning will fumble and the flock will set off the alarm.

 

[cottontail farm]

Thank you both. I forgot to mention that with the duck attack I had another one (same night) that was badly wounded around the neck. I think you're right about the fox. There's no blood, no trace of any disturbance. I think a raccoon or opossum would have made a mess.
Dang it.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

So this spring I lost 4 free ranging ducks in the middle of the night. No feathers no blood, nothing. Just poof, gone. Set up the game camera thinking whatever took them would be back. Never saw anything.
Over the summer we've seen fox, opossum and raccoons on the camera. The only thing recently was an opossum.
Last night I didn't close the coop door and again I am missing several birds. No blood no feathers just gone like last time.
I keep ducks and geese in the same fenced in area as the coop but didn't hear any racket during the night.
Any idea what i'm dealing with?

I think that you have been visited by Snuffy Smith and that he has graduated from stealing chickens to boosting ducks.

 

[BYCforlife]

I lost 2 hens to something, no feathers, nothing. Later, I lost 2 more but this time there was a large pile of clumps of feathers. I am not worried about losing any more, since I stopped free ranging, but do you have any ideas what rips out clumps of feathers?
My chickens now are confined to a 600 square foot run. Pretty cruel, huh?

 

[cottontail farm]

well this is embarrassing.

There was no sign of them becaus they weren't dead. They all wandered back in time for dinner like "hey, what's up?" Found a small hole at the bottom of the fence. No clue where they were this morning or what they were up to.
*smacks head*

 

[BYCforlife]

well this is embarrassing.

There was no sign of them becaus they weren't dead. They all wandered back in time for dinner like "hey, what's up?" Found a small hole at the bottom of the fence. No clue where they were this morning or what they were up to.
*smacks head*

That's great! I'm glad you got them back.

Too bad for me, I don't think that's going to happen with my first 2 hens that went missing.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Chuckle

 

[chickendreams24]

I lost 2 hens to something, no feathers, nothing. Later, I lost 2 more but this time there was a large pile of clumps of feathers. I am not worried about losing any more, since I stopped free ranging, but do you have any ideas what rips out clumps of feathers?
My chickens now are confined to a 600 square foot run. Pretty cruel, huh?

We need more information. Time of day, area lost, were they roosting if so where. etc. Coyotes and fox will take them with no trace but I've also seen them start plucking the bird. We had very bold foxes. We also had a possum take a bird without a trace. I'm sure she had been roosting bc it was dark. That was probably a 15-20 lb possum that grabbed her.

What are the possible options around you?

I also want to mention that we've never had a fox enter our coop they'd go by the door but not in. Even though they'd show up with us and our dogs outside. Same with coyotes although them usually not while we were out. I'm not saying it doesn't happen. I have a friend that has had a fox trying to break into her secure chicken tractor she keeps her broodies with chicks in.

Hawks and owls will also stay on the ground and pluck a bird if it's too large to fly away with and if they feel safe.

The possum did not pluck the bird but tore the skin away from her meat. With feathers intact. He was very messy in eating and left a mangled body that was very hard to even make sense of what parts went where. He didn't however go far with her body and that's how we found him in one of our outbuildings as we searched for her. We have never found the body of a fox or coyote kill. Except one that I caught the fox with 30 feet off our back porch the bird was still alive and struggling as the fox then snapped it's neck. I ran for the gun and the fox just stayed there. Even after I shot off two rounds it didn't move. Also I'd like to note that that fox didn't seem as practiced in killing and had begun plucking the bird before killing it and continued as I ran for the gun. Moreover most of the feathers weren't plucked but we're clipped almost to the skin. Idk if that's normal or not though.

well this is embarrassing.

There was no sign of them becaus they weren't dead. They all wandered back in time for dinner like "hey, what's up?" Found a small hole at the bottom of the fence. No clue where they were this morning or what they were up to.
*smacks head*

No problem I'm sure we'd all agree we like the happy ending better anyway.