Disgusted and angry....

[Cyprus]

Those tracks look big enough to be a large dog or a young wolf. I don't think it was any experienced hunter because then it would have eaten more than just one bird or at least cherry picked it's favorite parts from multiple birds. It had to have been a pack of dogs or a immature group of wolves or coyotes, any other pack of animals would have eaten the majority of the birds killed.

Agreed.
I have seen dog prints that big. They typically belong to the large and heavy breeds such as Mastifs, Mountain dogs, Dogos, Rotties, Bernards, etc.
I very highly doubt that it was a young wolf; they tend to travel with the adults whom would have consumed all of the carcasses.
My bet is on a couple of large breed dogs. Maybe escaped from a breeder, probably all owned by the same person.

 

[Chicken-Boy]

Whatever it is, I won’t stand for it and I will defend my flock... I have pictures as proof if they want to accuse me of killing it for no reason....

 

[Kessel23]

Agreed.
I have seen dog prints that big. They typically belong to the large and heavy breeds such as Mastifs, Mountain dogs, Dogos, Rotties, Bernards, etc.
I very highly doubt that it was a young wolf; they tend to travel with the adults whom would have consumed all of the carcasses.
My bet is on a couple of large breed dogs. Maybe escaped from a breeder, probably all owned by the same person.

Yeah, and there does seem to be a lot of dog breeders in Wisconsin, I know 3 or 4 in my county.

 

[Kessel23]

Well I don't personally know them, I have just drove past and seen the kennels with large numbers of dogs in them.

 

[MickWithChicks]

Gonna have to do a permiter fence around the entire backyard for them. I hate for them to be fenced in a small run but if I do the whole back acre I’d feel fine. Gonna have to do some shopping

Definitely worth it; even if it means that you have to keep them in the run for a while whilst you work on your perimeter fencing. Mine are temporarily in their (great sized) run while I work on a perimeter fence too. Whatever keeps them safe.

 

[bobbi-j]

I'm going to say coyotes...they do a lot of damage quickly.

Tracks are way too big to be coyote. I'm also guessing dogs. Coyotes carried off half my flock without a trace. The mink that killed my birds ate the backs of their heads, and only killed them while they were locked up. Fox will carry them off.

 

[AleRae78]

Tracks are way too big to be coyote. I'm also guessing dogs. Coyotes carried off half my flock without a trace. The mink that killed my birds ate the backs of their heads, and only killed them while they were locked up. Fox will carry them off.

They are big! Thought crossed my mind too...my uncle had a pack of coyotes that did damage like this, and it was definitely that because he drove right up on it as it was happening! It was a complete slaughter, but yeah the prints are large for coyotes

 

[AleRae78]

Tracks are way too big to be coyote. I'm also guessing dogs. Coyotes carried off half my flock without a trace. The mink that killed my birds ate the backs of their heads, and only killed them while they were locked up. Fox will carry them off.

Now I'm worried about minks!

 

[Folly's place]

Weasels couldn't kill all those birds during the day, not in a pen. More would have survived. Dogs seem most likely. I'd thing that wolves would eat more and kill fewer, but as someone mentioned, maybe juveniles would go on a killing spree. Still, it's likely dogs.
Mary

 

[KikiLeigh02]

I think you're looking for dogs too. Maybe someone's hunting dogs? A friend of the family breeds TN Walkers for example, they have huge paws, his adult males weigh 60-70 lbs, lots of energy, and a very strong prey drive. He has his trained to hunt in pairs, they will kill but not consume. We have neighbors that keep Blue Ticks those dang dogs escape all the time.