This is my first experience with chickens and now my first devastating predator "encounter." My babies (8 weeks old) had been hanging out in the back yard for a couple of weeks during the day with no issues (free ranging). Of course I was going to complete the coop over the weekend and last Friday 2 of my 6 my girls went missing. I found a row of under belly feathers about 6 feet long from the SLW and only a cluster of 4 feathers from the BO. We called for them for the rest of the rainy day and assumed maybe it was a hawk that took them. But... then on Sat morning I found lots of feathers and a wing and regurgitated parts of the BO. So sad, I thought she had survived the day but then got killed over night. Then Sunday I found the other wing. Then Tues I found a pile of feathers from the SLW (small feathers) and then Wed larger SLW feathers and more evidence. Then Thur I found another small group of feathers from the BO in another area. WHAT is going on? I feel like something is "messing with me!" I was so upset when they first went missing and now I can't imagine what has been bringing them out and eating them slowly in the middle of my yard at night. Any thoughts? It could be fox, racoon, cat, hawk, skunk...
