Help with predator ID? *Warning*, Graphic description!

[cutechick2010]

I have been losing chickens to something over the last couple of weeks. I lost two birds in two nights about two weeks ago, and after I sat in the coop with a .22 across my knees for the majority of a night it seemed to have given up and gone away. Now it is back, and over the last three or four nights I have lost two more birds. The strange thing is, the first three I lost were almost entirely consumed, the meat and internal organs all neatly eaten almost without disturbing the skeleton. But the last one only the head/neck area was eaten. The lower jaw was gone and the brain was very cleanly eaten.Also the skin on the neck was missing. The rest of the bird was almost untouched, so I don';t know if I interrupted it or if I have two predators. I have tried live traps in the coop at night with no luck. I am going to try upping my security in my coop, but it is apparently coming in through a pretty small hole already. Does this sound familiar to anyone? My best guess is a raccoon at this point.

 

[chfite]

Hardware cloth 1/2 inch over all holes, close the door at night.

Chris

 

[Cochaura]

What size hole is it coming in? Weasels can squeeze through 1" holes.

 

[cutechick2010]

Far as I can tell it is coming in the opening I use to reach my hand in and open the door. So it is probably a 4" by 4" hole. I have covered that opening up with a NIC panel for tonight, we will see if that helps.

 

[coleferg55]

I would say it is a Fox. I had all 6 of my chickens cleaned out because I left the door open 1 night, I only found 3, 1 was 100 yards down the road with its head and neck gone, the rest of it's body untouched, and the other 2 hadn't had anything eaten, they were just killed and left where they died, of the other 3 there were just some feathers on the front lawn. I think it was Fox's because we saw some a few nights before on the road while returning late from the horse races, and as there is usually two foxes together in the same area like coyotes, they could easily take out 6 chickens. They are also know to kill for fun and just eat the head and neck like described, they also fit in small holes, so that's what I'm betting on is Fox's. Sorry for your loses, I've lost two batches of chickens, one that I just described and another during the middle of the day when I was home and I didn't even know it. I know how much it sucks to lose chickens to predation, and especially after you have put all the work, time and love into them like they are your little children and then something jsut comes and kills them for the heck of it.