Help Identifying Predator

[Cmacc]

Hello everyone. I am so appreciative of the responses. Roosterhavoc, it seems the number of chickens affected by raccoons can really vary. 15 at once? Incredible. I, too, was wondering if they maybe were above the raccoons. Our roosts are about 4 feet off the ground, but they may have even flown up into the rafters. I've seen the chickens have trouble finding their way around the enclosure and stick there heads into it, so I can visualize what you are talking about. Could it be possible that there were 2 raccoons bc of the two piles of scat?

Chickengeorgeto, we did wonder about raptors as well. Our run is only partially covered with mesh cloth. We definitely have had some hawks around. Not putting the predator prevention in one basket is such great advice. We have been working to think of all angles and ramp up our security. Ironically, the chicken that was killed was named Hawk.

Here is one last thought for both of you that I would like to get your opinion on. It only occurred to me today, that perhaps rats finished off the remains? I was away from home for at least 10 hours during the day and the attack could have likely happened during the night before that, adding more time. I've seen a few rats near the coop (and neighboring compost bin). This is an issue we are working to deal with, traps, etc. Could the rats have scavenged after the initial kill? Thanks for all your thoughts. We have so much to learn. (And according to my husband I need to toughen up my heart a little bit.)

 

[chickengeorgeto]

... Could it be possible that there were 2 raccoons bc of the two piles of scat?... Chickengeorgeto, we did wonder about raptors as well. Our run is only partially covered with mesh cloth....

I can tell you this... where there is one raccoon there are very likely a half dozen to maybe two dozen raccoons. Raccoons live in lose colonies and because of this social behavior coons are very likely to carry rabies and when someone relocates a raccoon then that coon is condemned to fighting and whipping every other coon in the new colony before the transplanted coon can assimilate into the new colony or pass through in search of its home turf.

 

[aart]

Could the rats have scavenged after the initial kill?

Rats could have...the living chickens could have too.

 

[Hobbits Mommie]

Hello again. Thanks to all who have responded. We also felt that the scat was raccoon, so this is in line with our thinking. However, I was not sure because lots of the info I found online suggested that raccoons will often waste most of the bird, eating just a little (the crop), and that they are apt to kill more than one bird.

Roosterhavoc, do you think that it is possible that the raccoon drug the one out to the pen and that's why only one was harmed? chickengeorgeto, the body was still articulated. Thank you oregonkat for your kind words. I am just so upset with myself for not closing the ramp door. We never had any issues before and got careless. We have a door that slides up (connected to ramp). Might raccoons be able to lift this up (I have read that they are very dexterous)? Additionally, we live off grid, so I don't know that an electric fence would work for us. Would solar powered motion lights deter a raccoon?

My parents had racoons that pulled their baby chickens, limb, by limb through the wire. Leaving nothing behind except feathers, and sometimes a body part.

 

[Cmacc]

Ok everyone. We put a game camera up and 2 nights ago a big fat raccoon was on camea. So, with the all evidence the evidence considered, I think we found our predator. Buying the DP trap. Also feel that we need to stop using our compost for a while or move it to a new location.

 

[Amber1988]

This spring i had a family of raccoons kill/take 6 of my silkies. There very smartand can use there hands just as good as we can which makes them acceptable to being able to open latches. 4 out of the 6 just disappeared! All we found were feathers and 1 foot. The 2 other birds the raccoons only ate there breasts! The rest of the bird we'd left. We set up live traps and caught 4 coons within the next 6 days. In the past if ive had a bird die from old age ive thrown it in the back. My boyfriend has games set up and the raccoons are usually always the first to show up and each and every time they will dither take the whole bird with them or will eat only there breasts