Help! Can someone please help me identify the predator that killed over 1/2 of my flock

[New2chickchicks]

I really don't think it was a dog because my dogs would have barked, they have a doggie door and go in and out as they please and if our neighbor's dog is outside (small and never loose) they go crazy as well as dogs just passing by with their owners on leashes. I have never seen a stray dog in my neighborhood let alone my yard not saying it could never happen but the chances of it happening without the dogs going crazy.

 

[New2chickchicks]

I am also pretty sure the buff silkie was killed and eaten, the feathers were in clumps and there was a shell less egg in that pile of feathers

 

[Mylied]

I don't know anything else that kills like that. Wouldn't your dogs have barked at anything tearing up your chickens? If they had seen it? Is it possible they attacked the chickens?

 

[AllenK RGV]

I am hoping someone can help me identify the predator that took/killed 6 of my 10 chickens today. The coop run door was opened at 5 am this morning. About 12:45 I took a walk back to the coop to collect eggs when I noticed some feathers and a shell less egg on the ground. I recognized the feathers as one of our smaller buff silkies and thought a hawk had been by to take her. The coop had 2 of my girls in the nest boxes so I called the other girls, 2 more came running. There were no feathers in or around the coop or run. I took a walk into my neighbor's yard and noticed a lot of feathers and our golden laced wyandotte's body. I thought I must have been mistaken about the buff silkie so started looking for the other 5 missing chickens. I walked a little further and found more feathers and our black silkies body. I walked to the front of our neighbor's house, about an acre and a half away and found more feathers and one of our polish chickens bodies. There were other spots of feathers but no birds. We have had a hawk attack before and I heard it happening from inside my house the blue Jay's and crows were going crazy, it was a small buff silkie pullet and it's neck was severed and it had talon marks, it was so loud outside though it could not be ignored. I have 2 dogs that will bark if there is another leashed dog walking by but we never have strays in our neighborhood and if there was a dog in my yard the dogs would have barked. I heard nothing, no odd bird noises and the dogs have not made a peep all day. We have hawks at our house everyday and have only had that one issue with the smaller pullet, and again I did not hear the other birds making a ruckus like they do when a hawk is around. There was also no real visible damage to chickens bodies except for the polish which appeared to have a bloodied behind, a puncture to the chest and some bruising. I did not see blood on the other two bodies I found. I still have not found the other 3 missing chickens. I am at a loss for what could have done this and would like to protect my remaining 4 from whatever this creature is so any insight would be greatly appreciated. We live in CT so our main predators are hawks, skunks, fox, coyote, Fisher cats, raccoons, opossum. I have seen fox, skunks and possum near us but we are not in the woods and I have not seen anything regularly or recently. Our wyandotte was a pretty large bird and so was our Easter egger who is missing, the other missing are a smaller buff silkie and another polish. They are often in our neighbor's yard so I am not sure if they were dragged or just over there when they were killed but my guess is at least 2 of them were dragged or they spread out when being threatened by something. The bodies were stiff when I found them but not covered in flies. Also a couple weeks ago when I went out to close the coop, a huge owl was on a tree above the coop and flew away when it heard me, it was dark so I didn't see it but I heard and felt it. I hope this is enough info for someone to figure out what did this so we can prevent future attacks.

I think dog too, but it could have been a dawn time raid. Location would be helpful please edit that into your profile under the account button up top. You have green grass so you must be in north texas(I have forgotten how seasons work where I live we usually have hot or cool) or along the gulf coast region? I am sure a coyote would have taken your chicken to it's den so ruling that out along with any other natural predator.

 

[New2chickchicks]

I would think they would if it was anything that resembled a dog, we often have stray cats in our yard and they typically do not bark at the cats. They always bark when another dog walks by though. They did not bark at the hawk attack. No there is no way it was my dogs, they are in a fenced in area and are often in the yard with them and don't even notice them anymore.

 

[New2chickchicks]

I think dog too, but it could have been a dawn time raid. Location would be helpful please edit that into your profile under the account button up top. You have green grass so you must be in north texas(I have forgotten how seasons work where I live we usually have hot or cool) or along the gulf coast region? I am sure a coyote would have taken your chicken to it's den so ruling that out along with any other natural predator.

What type of animal does a dawn raid? I am going to check with my neighbors kids right now to see if he noticed anything waiting for the bus, their grass is high so they may not have noticed the body to the right of the driveway but there were feathers all over the driveway.

 

[New2chickchicks]

What type of animal does a dawn raid? I am going to check with my neighbors kids right now to see if he noticed anything waiting for the bus, their grass is high so they may not have noticed the body to the right of the driveway but there were feathers all over the driveway.

We are in CT.

 

[New2chickchicks]

I'm sorry I have no experience / idea about the predator but just wanted to say sorry for your loss. Poor chookies

Thank you.

 

[AllenK RGV]

We are in CT.

I am betting on raccoon then for the culprit. You might try dogsafe paw traps if legal to use those in your state.

cat food is a good bait dry stuff not the wet.

 

[KettermanHillCoop]

My guess would be a dog or cat. If your dogs go nuts over other dogs but pay no mind to cats prowling around...perhaps a cat is your culprit. Cats "on the hunt" are very quiet. I have to agree with the other posters that animals in the wild don't leave their supper behind.