Chicken kills

[MichaelEmighTexas]

Hi, so I live Outside of Houston Texas. My backyard backs up to a green belt and for the last year the chickens would hang in the backyard. I planted Behind the fence with Rye clover they ate on and hung out in brush at edge of woods during day. Well I guess something finally realized the last 2 nights was missing a chicken when they went to coop. Then I found These piles of feathers just in edge of woods. Looks like one was attacked by the clover (first set of feathers I found) the bulk of brown feathers were about 20 ft from that in the woods. This had to be daytime, no dogs or cats run stray. Never seen a fox but have seen red-tail hawks fly by real high but never close. Not one piece of blood, meat, skin, guts found only feathers. She was a buff Orpington so she was very big. Hard to believe a hawk could take off with her? Any help so I can Be more cautious. They have been locked in coop with small run but want to let them be more free if can keep them away if that is what is is. Thank you for any help

 

[CluckerFamily]

I am so sorry.
I think it was a fox.
I have seen a fox pounce on a rabbit and quickly remove all the fur and it just carried the carcass off with it.

 

[Weeg]

I wouldn't rule out a hawk, though there can be other predators you haven't seen. Can you put up cameras? Is your coop and run predator proof? As long as it is, then keep them there for a while, or until the predator leaves. If you keep the predators from getting kills, then they will eventually move on.

 

[cmom]

Not knowing where in the world you live, it could have been most any predator. You probably won't see them but they are lurking looking for an opportunity and apparently found one. I have several game cameras up around on my property and see a lot of different predators here especially at night. I have some cameras mounted on posts so I can move them around. I don't free range anymore due to losses from predators in the past but my land is mostly open pasture. I have electric wires around my coops and nice large pens, concrete under the gates and good heavy duty netting covering all of the pens, all due as I said to losses in the past. Nothing has gotten past the electric wires. I think the adult predators teach the young that a chicken isn't worth getting zapped for. Good luck...
A bobcat outside my chick/grow-out coop a little over a month ago.

 

[cmom]

I wouldn't rule out a hawk, though there can be other predators you haven't seen. Can you put up cameras? Is your coop and run predator proof? As long as it is, then keep them there for a while, or until the predator leaves. If you keep the predators from getting kills, then they will eventually move on.

I love my cameras. When one predator moves on another one will replace it. Hopefully the OP has a secure coop or will have.

 

[MichaelEmighTexas]

The Coop and Run is secure never as issue there and the girls knew when it got close to evening time to make their way back into it. I am in the middle of a neighborhood with just this 10 acre greenbelt behind me. I put out a game cam on the tree line to see if i catch anything. For the meantime they are staying locked up in coop and run.

 

[hayley3]

I am so sorry.
I think it was a fox.
I have seen a fox pounce on a rabbit and quickly remove all the fur and it just carried the carcass off with it.

I agree it was a fox. I thought they lost the feathers from the initial struggling....oh never mind I see you said fur...duh me. But anyway that is interesting.