First loss and a bit of a mystery

[cjstanman]

I came home yesterday afternoon and found one of my hens dead in the coop. I have 4 hens (now 3) that live in an A-frame chicken tractor which is inside a very large fenced area. She was right next to the nest box which is in the enclosed half of the chicken tractor with only one way in. What's odd is there were no signs of struggle anywhere else - not in the other open part of the tractor, the yard, the fence, anywhere. Her head was unrecognizable and a chunk was missing out of her chest.

I read the stickies about identifying predators and it most closely matches a cat. I do have 2 outside cats but frankly I thought they were too lazy to get in there, plus we've had this setup for nearly 2 years, so why now? If it were a fox, wouldn't a fox want to drag the chicken out and take it home? Or do they kill, take a bite and move on?

The other 3 chickens showed no signs of anything, nor did the cats. I couldn't tell if the other 3 killed this chicken themselves (she was low man on the totem pole and her head had been pecked a bit before), although it's a little weird a big chunk was taken out of her chest.

Well, it just sucks, either way. I had considered myself very fortunate that I hadn't lost any chickens but I suppose it's just part of the deal. :-(

 

[Bat Cave Silkies]

Its horrible when you lose a bird to predators...I'm sorry for your loss.

From what you describe, it sounds like a possum or raccoon to me. They will reach through the wire, grab a bird, bite off what they can get too, and leave the rest. Did you notice any feathers / skin / blood on any of the wire? If so, thats where they reached in and grabbed her.

I don't think it was your other chickens...if it were, they'd have probably still been picking at her. Don't think it was your cats either.

 

[JayDe]

I'm very sorry for your loss.
We are struggling with our own what-ifs today--so I know how terrible it is.

I'd say coon or possum as well. If the chickens are used to your cats, maybe they wouldn't struggle if a similar sized animal came after them? That's what I worry about with mine as well. The neighbor's barn cats are always wandering through our yard and not paying any attention to the chickens, so I think they may have gotten too used to them.

I can tell you what the fox did that got my roo yesterday. It looked like they fought out in the open, I found feathers everywhere in a small area. Then I caught him with him under a low hanging orange tree (kinda like a bush). He probably dragged it there for safe keeping. I have a feeling he was going to go back for more of my babies OR maybe he was resting before bringing him to the den...he ran off when I got close calling for the rooster. Roosie didn't have ANY tears, only puncture bite wounds--probably from the fight. I think he must have broken the roo's neck because none of the bites looked fatal.

I think if it were a fox it would have attempted to get it out of the tractor...its baby season for them. They'll be feeding more than themselves.

 

[cjstanman]

Thank you all, I appreciate your kind words and insight.

No, there was nothing on the chain link fence to indicate a raccoon reached through - there was no blood, feathers, anything. It looks like the whole thing took place inside the chicken tractor. That's where she was, and there's a bunch of feathers there. Nothing outside in the enclosed yard area within the fence, which is 6' tall chain link. I wonder if whatever did it just trapped her in there - she would have had to get around him to get to the one and only doorway to get out, and even right outside that little doorway, no signs of struggle. There's a feeder in there - wasn't disturbed at all, no tracks, no feathers, all very self-contained.

Poor thing!

 

[patman75]

A mystery indeed. Put out a live trap just in case.