Could a feral cat do this???

[Race0185]

I lost my first chicken 4 days ago a little banty d'uccle named Racer. Laid out some traps and have only caught a ferrel cat that had kittens in my pump house 10ft away from my run. Cat has been around didn't know about the kittens until 2 days ago. Both brought to the animal shelter. Ok description (not for the faint of heart) inside the coupe wing and back bone on the floor, under the coupe a leg and feathers, in the corner of the run breast bone and feathers, then 10 foot up in the tree i found what was left, head, wing, and her other foot. all the meat had been eaten and the insides.

I have had possem's in the yard in the past. Looking you your input on what you think could have done this.

 

[jerseygirl1]

The cat may have been feeding on leftovers, but I don't think it would massacre a chicken and scatter like that - sounds like a raccoon or possum

 

[sourland]

A hungry mother feral cat is fully capable of killing and eating a D'uccle bantam.

 

[Miltonchix]

Quote:
Not just bantams. I lost a total of 30 (white rocks) to feral and pet cats. Don't know if thats what got yours though.
The cats that killed mine did it mostly for sport . Just killed 'em and left 'em except for 2 that were just missing. No sign of them anywhere.
I have to admit though it was the former "pet" cat that caused the most damage. Killed for sport. At least a feral will eat what it kills.

 

[EweSheep]

I lost one Orp banty hen about a month ago to a feral cat, never did come back since then. It simply ate all the innards and a leg. Thought it was a coon but if it was, it would have gotten the rest of my chickens easily.

 

[Race0185]

ok for the update last night I caught a racoon 2 foot from my coupe. It was a pretty big racoon compared to the one's i have seen in the past. I hate keeping my chicks locked up until i can let them out in the morning. The coon almost destroyed my plywood trap and I had to do some repairs to it to get it ready for tonight. Now i know for sure they have racoons in my area so i will keep the trap set. I hope that was the only one because I hate having to deal with a trapped racoon or be forced to kill it because the trap was so destroyed I couldn't move it to relocate it.

Thanks for all the input

 

[nzpouter]

please don't relocate any predators.... you're just making it harder for the next guy to catch as it is now trap shy....

 

[CalebtheChicken]

Doesn't sound like a cat to me. Many cats are afraid of chickens. It sound more like an opussum.