Chicken gone

[Lappyfrog]

Help I need to know what killed and drag 3 of my chicken out. I tied the strings to my coop and don't. Know how it gone in. I need some advice to what animal/rodent it is but I'm not sure. And the second chicken killed but no body was left behind But the feathers of the barred rock was the blacks and yellow feather was never left behind. And the states Illinois.

 

[jdywntr]

Was this at night or during the day? What are they kept in?

I think you are saying that you only had feathers from the barred rock but no bodies left from any. Is that right?

 

[Scott H]

Quote:
What does this mean?

Could you get a large live trap from your local animal control dept.? Bait it and set it by your coop and you'll find out!

 

[Lappyfrog]

It meant all my chicken body was dragged out but none was left behind. The only clue we got was the barred rock's. feathers.

 

[Lappyfrog]

I tied the strings to keep the doors closed. But did not know how the animal got in. I did not had time to make the question sense. Sorry

 

[cafarmgirl]

There is quite a list of potential suspects who are capable of getting in and carrying off a chicken. Whatever it was will be back, or some other predator will show up. I'd install a more substantial latch on the coop door.

I'm not clear from your post if the string holding the door was broken or not, you said you don't know how it got in. If the door was still secured with string then check the coop carefully. Raccons don't need much of a gap to squeeze through, neither does a weasel or various other critters.

 

[featheredmom]

Sometimes you don't know how they get in.

We have a "secure" coop and our door has a piece of wood that when turned sideways will not allow it to open...BUT something got 2 of our hens anyway. We checked the coop over and over and never found a source, so we took the whole thing apart piece by piece and rebuilt it. Small animals do not need much room and there is something you aren't seeing.

So, when in doubt, rebuild.