Entire flock gone overnight

[Micropreemiemom]

Our entire flock was gone this morning. 2 girls were dead, 5 are just gone. Feathers everywhere. One dead girl was missing her head, the other was totally intact. We lost track of time last night and forgot to lock the coop. A mistake we’ll never make again. But I want to know what killed/took 7 girls! Any insight would be helpful. Thank you!

 

[Shaleen Ann Brown]

Our entire flock was gone this morning. 2 girls were dead, 5 are just gone. Feathers everywhere. One dead girl was missing her head, the other was totally intact. We lost track of time last night and forgot to lock the coop. A mistake we’ll never make again. But I want to know what killed/took 7 girls! Any insight would be helpful. Thank you!

Sad..... Sending lots of love..... I had a cat kill one chick( found its claw), a dog killed one of my chickens.... And lost 2 ducklings to a rat(ate its brain as it is soft) .... So honestly it could be anything...... In your case it looks like a big animal like a dog or cat.....do you have any cameras or you check for paw marks or faecal matter around

 

[theoldchick]

Sorry for you loss. Just about any critter can do the damage you described: fox, dog, cat, mink, etc. Time to predator-proof your chicken area. Again, so sorry.

 

[JedJackson]

I'm sorry this happened to you. Don't beat yourself up about it. Most of us forget to close the coop now and again, and usually it does not end up that way. You just got bad luck.

As to what killed your flock, it could be anything, but probably not dogs, unless you have feral ones in your area. Most dogs kill but leave the bodies behind. I think it was probably coyotes, raccoons or a bobcat. Most other predators wouldn't have taken your whole flock.

A trail cam is a good idea if you really need to find out who did it.

 

[leslielass]

Oh no...We've had that happen too. It's horrible and the guilt really can get to you. Just remember, EVERYTHING eats chicken. We have the Fort Knox of chicken runs and we still end up with a few who were picked off each year. It's really frustrating when the predators just kill them and leave them, I mean, you gotta eat but can you just take one eat it and leave the leave the rest?...geeze, inconsiderate little buggers.

I would guess a fox or coyote. They tend to kill all they can and carry off whatever they can hold. We've had up to 20 taken out just like this. It's kinda heartbreaking but it definitely happens.

I'd be happy to share any tips on securing your coop if you'd like. I think our chickens are a little cocky because they know nothing can get to them. To be fair...we haven't had a bear try his luck with it but our dogs chase off most everything that doesn't already live here.

 

[Micropreemiemom]

Thank you all! I’m thinking fox because we’ve seen them out back before. We’ve seen raccoons too, so that could be another possibility.

 

[Micropreemiemom]

Oh no...We've had that happen too. It's horrible and the guilt really can get to you. Just remember, EVERYTHING eats chicken. We have the Fort Knox of chicken runs and we still end up with a few who were picked off each year. It's really frustrating when the predators just kill them and leave them, I mean, you gotta eat but can you just take one eat it and leave the leave the rest?...geeze, inconsiderate little buggers.

I would guess a fox or coyote. They tend to kill all they can and carry off whatever they can hold. We've had up to 20 taken out just like this. It's kinda heartbreaking but it definitely happens.

I'd be happy to share any tips on securing your coop if you'd like. I think our chickens are a little cocky because they know nothing can get to them. To be fair...we haven't had a bear try his luck with it but our dogs chase off most everything that doesn't already live here.

I’d love some tips! I am actually quite impressed with the predators work. No trail of feathers, just a mess inside. But it is enraging that they just left the two girls. At least let their death be useful!

 

[cmom]

So sorry for your loss. It could have been most any predator, fox, coyote, bobcat, coon. If you have a camera put it up because the predator will be back and then you will know what you're dealing with. Good luck...