Fox or Raccoon?

[Thunderman]

Hi, the other morning at 6:30 my girls were up and laying (i can see and hear their coop from my bedroom), by 7:15 19 out of 20 were dead. At 7:15 i happened to look outside and saw a fox eating something. No sooner did i see it did then the realization of what he was eating wash over me like boiling hot water. I looked over to the run and saw the massacre, my girls lay dead everywhere. I ran outside and chased the fox off. The hens had taken advantage of the soft spring ground to practically dig out of the run in one corner, the killer only had to dig about 8 inches under the wire apron to get to the hole made by the chickens. Totally my fault. I overbuilt my coop and run, and foolishly thought it to be lock tight. I built it last summer when my clay soil is as hard as a rock; i didn't take into consideration the softness of spring soil. I set my trap out that day, using one of my beloved girls as bait. Nothing the first night, but yesterday i caught a raccoon. Could it be that the raccoon committed the massacre and the fox just happened to come along and find it? 6 of the hens laid that morning before they were killed, so i know it didn't happen overnight. I wasn't able to find one of them, but aside for the one that the fox was eating the most just had their necks broken. A few were missing their heads. Does this sound like a fox or a raccoon? Thanks for letting me ramble, check your coops and runs!

 

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

Sorry for your loss. I'm pretty sure it was the fox. I've never heard of a coon being out that late in the morning; they are usually long gone by day break.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

I would guess it was the Fox that did the killing

 

[Ladymaran]

Have no experience with foxes, but raccoons have killed some of my chickens and they eat/take the heads off. Some other post mentioned raccoons being out during the day, so it's possible. Sorry about your loss.

 

[Thunderman]

Thank you for the kind words.

 

[Rustywreck]

I'm putting my bet on the raccoon, or maybe even a weasel. It would be just like a weasel to do the crime and let someone else take the blam. The mass slaughter is what makes me think it wasn't the fox.
19 of 20 chickens at one time is tough. Down right disheartening.
Don't blame yourself too much for this. When it comes to raccoons and their killing, it seems as though you are always working from behind: Every time you block their way into the run, they find another. Plus, they have all night to work on finding a way in.