Dead chicken(s)

[Ja Mee]

I'm trying to be dispassionate and say just the facts: I just found my third dead chicken in the last couple of months. We thought the first was attacked by a hawk because we found her in the open area in our chicken run. She had been partially mauled and the head was gone. The second one was in the hen house underneath her perch. (Overnight). The third was tonight in our covered hoop coop attached to the run. (I use the hoop coop as a brooder when I have new chicks.) She was partially mauled but her head was attached.
We have 7 ft fence around their run with the good stuff for fencing, not chicken wire, and it extends out side under the dirt. There are no holes or openings.
Any thoughts? Are they just dying or does it sound like we have a predator? Could they be dying and the other chickens eating them?

Thank you!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Raccoons perhaps? They are known to eat the heads off, and can climb. I would set up a game camera.

 

[Babe_Lestrange]

I had three chickens turn up with no heads within a few months of each other. I got a motion activated camera and caught a fox trying to get in the run and one night a raccoon that WAS in the run! Most likely the raccoon but the fox was a surprise. Sailed over my chain link with one jump! The coon wasn’t so lucky. My dog got her and then lo and behold I became the unwilling part time mother to her 5 babies a few days later. (They are safe and doing great with a rehabber vet now) Longest week of my life. Anyways- a solar powered door has been added to my coop so even if something gets into the run at night, they can’t get into the coop. No fatalities since!