First Attack in Six Years - What Kind of Predator?

[The Chickens' Maid]

Most our chickens are loose in the same coop now (the safest one). Two of the roosters get along beautifully, and all the hens seem to be fine together. The third rooster is in his own, personal cage because he couldn't figure things out with our EE rooster, but he's happy anyway. Nothing in the traps yet. They'll all be staying in that coop until this is resolved.

 

[real_redhead]

So sorry for everyone's losses! Good luck getting everything fixed and I hope you catch them. I have a raccoon coming around, that I would like to get rid of. I haven't seen it except for its scat and I have been setting the trap with marshmallows but no luck in getting it.

 

[The Chickens' Maid]

We've had another attack. This time our little Silkie momma was taken out of the "safe" coop and eaten in the woods. We're pretty sure it was a possum again; she was eaten the same way as the first one. The chickens are all in kennels now and are housed in a stall in our barn for tonight. I reset the traps with eggs and moved them to where the last attack was. A fox has been seen going into the woods next to the coops recently, but we don't think he's what's getting in there.
Whatever it was can really climb. It got up under the eaves 10+ feet from the ground with no easy handholds. It then managed to get out with our little Silkie in its mouth.

 

[chickenreferee]

Never had a possum take a bird, only raccoons. Sorry for the loss, hope you get this thing taken out soon!

 

[cmom]

I think you have a raccoon. Try putting marshmallows or peanut butter in the trap. Coons love marshmallows. Make sure they aren't too close to the edge of the cage where the coon can reach in and get them.

 

[The Chickens' Maid]

We caught a raccoon! My Dad an I were out checking the traps last night, and we surprised it as it was leaving the coop. It was going after the eggs in the traps, and it did manage to get them without setting the traps off. Dad shot it, so that's one down, anyway, but I'm not convinced that the coon was what ate the other chickens. Both chickens had their heads and crops intact (aside from some damage that was, I assume, from the predator initially killing them). They were both eaten away in the hind quarters, near the vent and legs. The Silkie was very small and easy to carry, too. Has anyone had a predator attack like this, where the pattern didn't match?

Could there maybe be two predators?
Also, the chickens are all still being kept in the barn at night, so, thankfully, the coop was empty when we caught the coon.

 

[cmom]

I still think your predator is a raccoon.

 

[jeep381]

Wow, you guys are scaring me. Just started raising chickens, they are 14 wks old now. Can't wait for that first egg. We build a pen by putting two dog pens together, with their house in the middle. Covered the top with with wire,and also dug around the pen about 6 inches and put the wire in the ground around the pen. Have a tarp on one end for shade. We have coons that get into our garage at night to eat anything they can find, dogfood, bird food, etc. But so far they haven't gotten into the pen. I lock my chickens in the coop at night, so they aren't outside until early morning. I think i'll check my pen again for any opening they may be able to get in. Thanks for the comments on predators and pests.