Chicken losses

[Mamas_Looney_Farm]

Last night I lost 2 of my youngest hens to something. I’m not really sure what it was, but we have had a lot of coyotes, owls and hawks and basically a lot of pests around lately. We also saw a coyote hanging around last night. The poor hens, Bee and Hanna, were pulled halfway through the fence, which is just goat and sheep fencing, the welded wire. I have their 2 sisters locked up along with my other smallest hens so nothing can get at them . Recently we’ve had ALOT of buzzards hanging around but I’m not sure if they would go after a small chicken. Maybe if they are hungry enough? I’m not sure about predator hunting methods, but the heads were completely eaten and all the meat was gone with the guts strung next to them. I am just grieving over the loss of 2 beautiful, sweet young hens and am hoping that this will be one of the last times this happens. This was Bee. She was a sweetheart and would follow me around, albeit a little flight but she was adorable Hanna. She was a really small chicken, but her markings were beautiful and she was always the first to come to me when I had treats.
a barred owl a couple of days ago. Sorry picture is bad.
Some of the vultures a few days before.

Any ideas what this predator is?

 

[FortCluck]

I'm sorry for your loss

 

[LizzzyJo]

I am so sorry for you losses. I just recently lost the bird in my avatar photo to a hawk.

Not to make this more graphic, but if the feathers were plucked and the neck exposed, you're likely looking at a bird attack. They rip feathers out - coyotes don't tend to do this.

 

[Criticalicious]

My vote is for raccoon. They will pull chickens through a fence. Chain link will not stop them. Lock up chickens in a solidly enclosed, locked coop at night with plenty of ventilation to keep them safe. Add 1/2" or 1/4" hardware cloth to the bottom 2-3 feet of the chain link to prevent raccoons from sticking their hands and arms through the chain link. If you can surround your free range area with electric fence, it will help keep out most ground predators both day and night.

 

[Mamas_Looney_Farm]

My vote is for raccoon. They will pull chickens through a fence. Chain link will not stop them. Lock up chickens in a solidly enclosed, locked coop at night with plenty of ventilation to keep them safe. Add 1/2" or 1/4" hardware cloth to the bottom 2-3 feet of the chain link to prevent raccoons from sticking their hands and arms through the chain link. If you can surround your free range area with electric fence, it will help keep out most ground predators both day and night.

I have goats and dogs in the same are as my coop so I cannot have electric sadly or I would already have had it up. @LizzzyJo I am leaning towards a bird attack too because feathers were scattered everywhere, and I’ve seen all those raptors around recently. I know there is a red tailed hawk hanging around . He got my Buffy hen last year I just hope that my others girlies are ok when i get home.

 

[aart]

were pulled halfway through the fence, which is just goat and sheep fencing, the welded wire.

An open roof pen?

 

[Mamas_Looney_Farm]

@aart no they are in a sort of free range area that is fenced in.

 

[aart]

@aart no they are in a sort of free range area that is fenced in.

.....and the predator got birds at night?
Birds should be in a secure coop at night......and you might think about having a secure run too, cause whatever took thee birds will be probably be back.

 

[Mamas_Looney_Farm]

.....and the predator got birds at night?
Birds should be in a secure coop at night......and you might think about having a secure run too, cause whatever took thee birds will be probably be back.

The predator got them sometime between 6AM to 5:30PM yesterday . I am thinking about setting up a trap for whatever it is, just to see what I can get and to get rid of whatever it is. We have a few people with chickens around us and I would hate for them to have to go through this too, so if I do catch something I WILL “put it to sleep”

 

[aart]

Catching it(something) might help, but there are others out there too.
Best of cLuck.