I lost 4 Chickens today.

[Chicken Wizard]

I lost 4 chickens today. There seemed to be a chase as I found several locations where each had a battle and ran somewhere else. I followed the feathers and found 3 of them. Two had there heads and neck missing, the other was just torn up a but. This all took place while I was at work and assuming it happened sometime during the morning.

What kind of predator would have done this? Two of the chickens were found near each other a long way from the coop. They were in the weeds hidden.

 

[progeras]

With the heads missing, my first guess would be raccoons. Why the other was just torn up, don't know. Maybe it was just forgotten.

 

[Chicken Wizard]

During broad day light? We have two acres and they were found in areas far from the coop. It was odd. You could tell there was a battle as there was trails of feathers everywhere.

 

[anttrim]

I lost a swedish flower hen this morning also. The head missing only. We need to set the coon traps again. My guess is that they kill one or two and leave the meat so that it can soften up a bit. They seem to eat more of the bird when they have to pull them through the wire. Almost needing a challenge to eat. We have lots of them around here and all the people around here say that the coons just eat the heads. I bait the trap with the rest of the bird close to the location and catch a coon every time.. I hope you have traps. They can grab the bait through the side so i usually put 6 concrete blocks in a u shape around the baited area and a ply wood piece over it. They are good at flipping the traps making it a one hand job for them to escape. With the blocks you solve that problem as well. The blocks are usually around 1.25 each and can all ways be used for something else later. Its a good investment. I have been dealing with coons ,snakes and hawks. I ran after a hawk that grabbed an orpington , but he had all ready killed it. With around 400 free range birds i expect to loose a few a day. I just ordered 2 great 50 packs from McMurry Hatchery. They had what they call commercial egg layer bargain which is 50 pearl white leghorns for 99.50 and a brown egg layer assortment which is 50 heavy brown layers for 85.50. Ha Ha, take that hawks. 25 Wellsummers and 25 easter egger americaunas are fixing to graduate from the brooders to the hoop coop. They cant get all of them. I hate loosing birds. I hope you get the coons and God bless My wife and daughter with a 7 footer from yesterday. A pic of the Hoop Coop below. I just built an 8x8 which is easier to drag around. This is a 16x8 with a fan. Makes a great pen for the small females and polish or other crested birds.

 

[Chicken Wizard]

Thanks for the insight. I was doing some reading, and it states that a fox could be up to it too. I find it hard to believe that a coon would come and nab 4 of them. They are free range so were out and about this morning. Probably happened around 10am or so. They were all there when I let them out of the coop this morning.

 

[ivan3]

Don't know your location/circumstances So I'll default to the usual: Fox/Coyote. Daytime coon? always a distant possibility. However, they usually get one and tear it up (unless, of course, it finds a way into a run/coop full of chooks).

Maybe a dog, but the missing heads, during the day? A fox or coyote scared off, by something, sans kill.

 

[upthecreek]

Don't know your location/circumstances So I'll default to the usual: Fox/Coyote. Daytime coon? always a distant possibility. However, they usually get one and tear it up (unless, of course, it finds a way into a run/coop full of chooks).

Maybe a dog, but the missing heads, during the day? A fox or coyote scared off, by something, sans kill.

Yep a fox usually works in the early to mid morning ....... Coon at night .
Hope you get whatever it is !!

Shannon

 

[Chicken Wizard]

Yup. During the day. I let them out about 8am this morning and they roam the back pasture. One chicken found in the woods, missing neck and heads. The others found in the weeds about 200 yards away (about 20 feet from one another). Only two were missing heads. I still havent found the 4th.

I did have a problem earlier this spring where coons (i think) got into the coop. they drug the chickens out and ate the some of the neck and the entrails.

 

[anttrim]

I will say you are probably right about the fox. I was thinking it happened early before the sun came up. Then a coon could've nabbed em from there roost. This sounds more like a playful fox given the time and being free range. Maybe a Bobcat?