Four chickens missing in a day

[Jenny421]

I free range all my chickens and we live in 30 acres surrounded by woods, so I realize we have predators. When I counted them all last night as they were on their roosts I realized 4 were missing. We’ve lost chickens before, but not four at a time. We’ve had a raccoon coming around the coop at night, but it’s very secure and it can’t get in. That being said, I ready to shoot it because it has been coming around nightly for almost a month and circles the coop for 30min - 1 hour at a time. But I’m trying to figure out what would have killed 4 chickens in a day. I haven’t found their bodies and they didn’t show up this morning just in case they decided to roost somewhere else last night. Any ideas??

 

[Geena]

Could be pretty much anything big enough to carry the bodies away fox, coyote, bobcat, dog. Lots of predators will kill as many as they can at a time. Only raptors normally just take one at a time.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Days are not long enough! Game cameras up, and more likely weeks inside. Electric fencing!!!
Mary

X2 electric fencing. I suggest electric netting so you can move it around frequently. Won't stop hawks, though.

I also live in the woods (not 40 acres, though - I wish!). One of the only reasons I haven't had a loss so far is electric netting. And my neighbor free ranges his birds, which are easier to nab. He's lost dozens.

 

[SilverBirds]

Do you have an estimated time of day they went missing? Foxes are known to take multiple birds at a time.

 

[Folly's place]

So sorry!
Any birds with wounds? Look them all over carefully.
It's possible that you have one or more hiding, who will return.
Are there trails of feathers, or tracks? Helpful if present. You are keeping your birds inside for now, right? Expect return visits!
Setting up game cameras would be a big help, if you can.
Mary

 

[Jenny421]

Thanks Mary. I’ll go check the others. No obvious wounds, but I didn’t look closely. They are all staying inside today. I went out and looked this morning and didn’t see any trails of feathers. I looked in the areas they typically frequent. We have one game camera and an Arlo camera on the coop. We need more game cameras though. I’m hoping some will show up today. I keep going out and calling them.

 

[arizona_chicken_noob]

It could be coyotes, depending on where you live. All of my losses have been due to coyotes and they can definitely take a bird and run off with it. I even saw one running down the street with a chicken in its mouth. It's an unfortunate aspect of letting them roam I wish it wasn't so.

 

[Folly's place]

Days are not long enough! Game cameras up, and more likely weeks inside. Electric fencing!!!
Mary

 

[Jenny421]

X2 electric fencing. I suggest electric netting so you can move it around frequently. Won't stop hawks, though.

I also live in the woods (not 40 acres, though - I wish!). One of the only reasons I haven't had a loss so far is electric netting. And my neighbor free ranges his birds, which are easier to nab. He's lost dozens.

I’ll check that out. We need to expand the run before winter. The hawks were ruthless last winter with no leaves on the trees. Maybe we can also have an area with the netting to give them even more space.

 

[Folly's place]

Best to install that electric fencing, and/ or electric poultry netting. Eliminating all the coyotes isn't possible. Try for individuals at the coop though. It is true as AA just mentioned...
Mary