first chicken killed

[saildog]

I lost my first hen to something today. I got home at 7:30pm still light out , and that is when they are generally all heading in to roost. 5 hens were hiding in my garage ( elevated home ) under a table, which is very abnormal, so I knew right off something bad happened. . the others were all under the coop ( 19 of them )

I found a buff orpington dead at the edge of the woods / field , just the head gone and a pile of feathers near her, but the whole body intact, with all its feathers still on it. A large bird flew off as I approached ( hawk or vulture?? did not get a good view of it ) she had been dead for at least a couple hours I think, cause there were about 500 flies on her already. Best guess on the killer ?? They are only 3 months old but already seem pretty much full size to me. I read possums just eat the head, but I would not think a possum in daylight, I have coyotes but that would run off with her or eat her I would think, and of course hawks too, I just thought she would be more eaten if she had been killed by something a few hours before.
Anyhow I will keep them locked in the coop for the next few days unless I am out with them.

I don't want them to have to stay in the coop all the time, but of course don't want them to die. This Sucks .

 

[HEChicken]

I'm sorry for your loss - it is never easy. That sounds like a raccoon to me. I would guess that the bird you saw was just being opportunistic.

It may be time to build them a secure run so that they don't have to be locked in the coop when you are not home.

One certainty is that now it knows you're there, it will be back. You may want to invest in a Duke DP trap to catch and then dispatch it, but where there is one there will be others.

Good luck!