Day time predators?

[Redwolfe]

I have been losing chickens during the day. What would be brave and stealthy enough to take my girls in broad daylight and not alert my dogs???

 

[GC-Raptor]

Around here in the morning I've seen Fox, Bobcat and stray dogs as late as 9: 00 am.
Hawks usually mornings through early afternoons, but as late as an hour before sunset if they didn't have any luck finding prey earlier.
Fox are very stealthy.
Put your general location in your profile and people in your state or country could be more specific. GC

 

[MountainWoman73]

I have had foxes, bobcats, and hawks come during the day. My dog usually notices, but I swear the goshawk watches and knows when the dog is "off duty" (ran an errand with me in the truck, or sleeping in the basement).

 

[Aquatic_blue]

Maybe a hawk? Hawks come to mind when I think daytime predator - they are quiet and sneaky.

I guess it depends where you live, too. Also if you are in a rural or urban area.

 

[Redwolfe]

Around here in the morning I've seen Fox, Bobcat and stray dogs as late as 9: 00 am.
Hawks usually mornings through early afternoons, but as late as an hour before sunset if they didn't have any luck finding prey earlier.
Fox are very stealthy.
Put your general location in your profile and people in your state or country could be more specific. GC

We are in south Texas. Between San Antonio and Houston. Yesterday my Roo went missing. He was there around 7:30 pm when I left to pick up my son from work. But not in the coop at 8:15 when I went to secure it.
They usually stick pretty close to the house, especially if I am outside, shamelessly begging for scratch. In the past I would find feathers or even pieces of carcass, but there is literally no trace of the roo.

 

[Redwolfe]

Oh and we are very much rural. Closest neighbor is more than a mile away.

 

[centrarchid]

If fox and chickens lost of any size, then you will see feathers at kill sight that may be strung out in a line. If Coyote and especially a Bobcat, then little if any feather sign with be evident.

Are dogs loose?

 

[Howard E]

If it was me, and I was loosing birds on a daily basis.......I'd keep my birds locked up somewhere safe, knowing whatever it was that has become accustomed to feasting on the goodies would get hungry and that would make them bold enough to go right to the coop for another. So I could stand watch and wait.......or lacking time for that, aim a game camera at the coop from a distance to catch a photo of it. Once you know what it is, you can decide what to do next.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Yesterday my Roo went missing. He was there around 7:30 pm when I left to pick up my son from work. But not

My guess is a K9, Fox, Coyote. Maybe a Lynx or Bobcat.

A game/trail camera is good to identify. I have some aimed at my coops. GC

 

[sLOWdJonny9]

Good suggestion on the trail cam. I also live in a very rural area that is on the edge of one of our National Parks so we have an abundance of hungry critters prowling our yard at night. I've had 4 cams up for a while and the pics of what I was up against helped me a lot in designing my coop set-up, etc...... And yes, that 2nd pic is the coyote letting me know what it thinks of my coop design.......lol

We also have a bad problem with Hawks here in our area. We typically see and hear them perched in tall trees in the morning 7-9am and at dusk.