EE pullet or roo?

[AidKD]

Unfortunately we'll never know if this one was a boy or girl. Something is getting into my run during the day while I'm at work... 2nd one in 3 weeks. First time I was convinced it was a hawk: body left, feathers everywhere, picked at and left. I re-secured the run, and ran chicken wire over the top of all but one area that some tree branches cover and along the ground to fence line.... This time, I'm not sure. 3 of my older hens are missing tail feathers but no obvious bite/scratch marks, this guy (gal) is gone, some feathers around but not many, but no body. Seems too heavy for a hawk to have gotten in and carried it off.. Again inside the run but near the fence line. Can't see where anything has dug or could have gotten under the 6 foot fence. So sad. My 2 favorites from this batch gone.

That's so discouraging, I'm sorry! Could it have been a raccoon? Maybe it climbed over?

 

[Tahai]

How sad for you. My guess is raccoon or other tree climbing predator.

 

[Harriet123]

I thought a raccoon, except both attacks have been during the day and I'd expect them to come at night. Maybe a fox.. but it would have to jump pretty high to get back out with a chicken. Setting up a camera to figure it out, though I'm hoping I never see anything on it because whatever it is stays away!

 

[AidKD]

I thought a raccoon, except both attacks have been during the day and I'd expect them to come at night. Maybe a fox.. but it would have to jump pretty high to get back out with a chicken. Setting up a camera to figure it out, though I'm hoping I never see anything on it because whatever it is stays away!

One of my roosters was killed by a raccoon in the daylight.

 

[Tahai]

Raccoons are out and about in the daylight more often than we expect. It's a myth that coons seen in the daytime must be sick. This time of year, mothers are hunting nonstop to feed their young and soon they will start taking their young out to forage and learn..

 

[Harriet123]

Umm. So this happened today when I went out to check on my girls... I have NO idea where this chicken has been the last week or how it got back. Appears unharmed, just hanging out near the coop waiting to be let back in. .

 

[SchwartzLakeFarmNC]

Wow! What a blessing to have it back and unharmed. I had run ins with possums and racoons, ended up trapping them, I did release 1 until another BYC member advised not to do so because it could effect another flock and I did not want that on my plate, so I ended up using the SSS method. Sorry for your other losses but happy that this one came back, keep us updated.