Fox? Dog?

[TinyRaptorDodos]

My cayenne has been getting attacked, she’s been alive both times but the first time she had a large wound on her front next to her crop almost under her wing. We had a new person move in three houses down with an unfenced dog and we have also had foxes in our neighborhood a year or two ago but not in this area. I’ve also had a 2-month old chick eaten by a cat before. The second attack she just had more feathers pulled and was way in the neighbors yard which she couldn’t do by herself based off all the snow we have but she didn’t have any feathers in that area. Our big dog was barking at something none stop this morning while we didn’t notice anything. We don’t have many other predators here other then birds but birds would get her back not her chest… the first time she was attacked she had a chunk of feathers with flesh connected to it. She’s very quiet now and her eye has been swollen since the first attack.

Any idea what it is? They free range, and they have for two years. The only issues I’ve had with predators have been birds and our own dog getting in a fight with new roosters or wandering dogs we have stopped from attacking the same hen over a year ago. I do have a picture of her wound and have been disinfecting and using a wound guard on it but it might be a bit too bloody for here.

She is likely to be trying to protect the flock, that was always more of cinnamons thing but she’s just as sassy

 

[mowin]

It could be a fox, coyote or dog. Maybe some trail cams would help to identify what you're dealing with.

 

[Lardson]

Are your chickens left out at night? is your coop predator proof?

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

It could be a fox, coyote or dog. Maybe some trail cams would help to identify what you're dealing with.

I don’t think we have coyotes here luckily. I’ll check the store for some trail cams

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

Are your chickens left out at night? is your coop predator proof?

Coop is closed and lifted off the ground, no holes that predators could get in through. So far it’s only happened when they’re out earlier in the morning

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

We do have potential of having raccoons around here actually, but what’s confusing me is the fact that it’s missing from her front… not yet back or tail where I’ve noticed most predators will grab

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

Got another one. Could it be in an infection or from the same predator?

 

[mowin]

Got another one. Could it be in an infection or from the same predator?

Looks like something is attacking.

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

Looks like something is attacking.

After asking around I found out there have been ermines in our neighborhood, and based off how it’s attacking only from the front, eggs have been going missing, I don’t see prints and all my hens are still alive I believe it’s living in the barn taking eggs and only attacking when the hens attack it. I’m going to take my sister dog out to find it’s hole and set up a live trap to relocate it

 

[mowin]

After asking around I found out there have been ermines in our neighborhood, and based off how it’s attacking only from the front, eggs have been going missing, I don’t see prints and all my hens are still alive I believe it’s living in the barn taking eggs and only attacking when the hens attack it. I’m going to take my sister dog out to find it’s hole and set up a live trap to relocate it

Ermines are a small mink like critter. They are resilient for their size and very capable of killing chickens.