help find the killer!!!

[jofos]

I went out the other other morning to find I was missing 26 12 week old birds. 15 were dead in the pen and the other 11 have not been found nor have any remains, not even feathers. the dead birds were all intact with a few bite marks but their heads had not been eat nor was their stomach.
What ever got in was small. it dug in and the hole was only about 6".
One adult bird is also missing. This hen had made a ness in an old burn pile and was on 12 eggs. All of the eggs were gone but there were no shells or signs that any had been broken.
Last summer I had a problem with something killing my birds as well but they would have their heads eaten. I trapped several possums and the problem stopped. It was a really strange last summer as the attacks happen 3 times exactly 2 weeks apart.
I have been told everything from a fox to small dogs are responsible. The fox is possible but it seems strange because a fox tends to kill a couple birds and then come back when it wants more also the fact that there was little visible damage to the birds. A dog also is possible except for the fact that 11 birds are missing, dogs tend to kill chickens for fun and it seems odd that a dog, and a small one at that would carry off 11 birds.
Any help or suggestions would be great I have about 35 more birds to worry about and I would like to be able to keep them safe.

 

[jhm47]

From what you describe, I would guess something in the weasel family. It would help if we knew where you are located. The foxes around here would have dug a hole more like 9 - 12 inches in diameter, however a gray fox might dig a smaller hole. Doesn't sound like a possum or skunk, they don't usually carry their prey off. The hole size makes me suspect mink, but they don't usually carry things off either. A real puzzle.

 

[jofos]

sorry i forgot to include my location. I'm in south Alabama, about as far south in Alabama as you can get.
To my knowledge there are no weasels around here. The foxes that I have seen are small but I wouldn't think that they could have gotten through such a small hole.
Another thing that I left out, of the 15 birds that were left in the pen 5 or 6 were partially buried.

 

[spectrumranch]

I would quess fox.

I had a fox get into our young chciken yard and killed alot of birds, it buried a bunch of them in several spots, carried some off, and just left others laying there. We caught it in a leg hold trap were it was going under the fence.

 

[ivan3]

Sorry for your loss. I'd guess fox as well (some chooks `vanished', some buried - cached). If you are in a rural area, on acreage, start walking patterns out from the coop/run. You'll either find the area where they carried them to eat immediately (will find lots of nothing but feathers) or, less likely, buried (cached) them for later. Foxes like to build their dens on south facing hillsides/base of big trees (snags are their favorites in Cent.MO., i.e., dead oaks/hickories). The den will usually be within 2-300yd. of cache site (though it can be out further). Look for scat and/or hair (they like to follow fence lines/dry stream beds, or will high-step down the center of less frequently traveled roads).

Fox scat:

It/they will be back, so consider your options.

Good luck!