i know the answer is "me"... but please help...

[thomasboyle]

Very sorry for your losses. Any of the tree climbing predators could do it, bobcat and raccoon come to mind first. Owls also hunt at night, and will grab sleeping chickens from trees. You mention you have never seen raccoons, but most of the time you won't see them. I have a couple of motion sensor trail cameras set up around my coop, and I rarely see animals, but the camera catches raccoons, oppossums, bobcat, coyotes, deer and bear. I would set one up so you can find out what is coming and getting your chickens, and make sure they spend the night inside. Bad things happen at night.

 

[Mallory8502]

You mention you have never seen raccoons, but most of the time you won't see them.

This is SO true. I have lived in my house for 6 years, and have never seen a coon. But my neighbor has had problems with them (just 10 feet from my yard) killing his chickens, and he was able to catch one showing up to the coop right before dark. Until this year I did not have chickens, so I am convinced I did not see raccoons before because I did not have anything they wanted at the time. I still have not seen one but I bought a live trap today just to keep it set every night and see what is lurking around in the yard.

 

[Mallory8502]

i considered them pretty safe, as i don't see foxes, racoons, etc. aruond my property and it is well fenced also.

Fox and raccoons are very secretive. It is normal to never see one. Raccoons especially, will scale trees and tall fences without an issue. Of course a feral cat or a bobcat could also be to blame. Owls are also a real danger but not sure if this attack sounds like an owl. It is very likely the predator is still in the area, so I would lock them up in the coop at night (not just the run) and maybe look at the coop and run construction section of this forum to get ideas on how you can improve your security, if needed. I would not blame the new bird for what happened. I think it is extremely unlikely, especially at night, for something like that to happen, and the way you described it just doesn't sound like a chicken at all. I am sorry for your loss, it will be ok, having chickens is a learning process and sometimes you learn the hard way.

 

[Rocky Rhodes]

Unless you live in the desert, you have raccoons. Whether you see them or not, they ARE there. Raccoons spend the daylight hours snoozing high up in trees or in hollow trees. Set a live catch trap with some smelly bait like sardines or cat food and it won't be long before you see one.

 

[boogiesnap]

thanks for all the support. i really appreciate it.

this was a hard learning curve for sure. they will be locked up in the eglu at night no matter what from now on.