Left devastated after a racoon attack

[GracefulBantams]

I had a horrible surprise this morning..... 6 missing birds!
Most of my small laying flock - a black hen, a buff hen, an easter egger hen, and a buff brahma rooster.
And, my gorgeous Blue Silkie pair

Those Silkies didn't have a mean bone in their body, they were my sweetest little birds! They were also great quality...and expensive!
I am just so upset! How could I loose that many birds in one night

And I loved my Silkies

I searched our property and only found a ton of feathers.... no body parts, or injured birds.
They we drove around. The farthest away we found feathers was about 3 blocks - headed straight for the woods! But, those feathers were just from one of the laying hens... the Silkie feathers and all other feathers ended not 50 feet from our fence!!! Those birds (or their bodies

) have to be somewhere! Why did the feathers end there?!
I'll try looking around some more, but from the large piles of feathers I found, I really don't have any hope that a bird could live through that

My Silkies! Just gone!
I'm sorry, I don't know if that all made sence. I am still crying

 

[Chickenaddict]

I am sooo sorry for your losses

 

[IHeartCapnHook]

Oh Grace... I am SO SO SO SO SO SO very sorry for your loss! That is a horrible experience to have to go through! I know that it's no real comfort, but do remember that although their lives were cut short, they had the happiest life imaginable with you!!
*hugs*

 

[preppy*hippie*chick]

So sorry Grace.

 

[sonew123]

OMG Im so sorry for your loss-I can't imagine what you are going through-all though I've lost pleanty of pets in my day-I have yet to deal with my birds being hunted down and caught---I hope you find some hiding somewhere!!!

 

[peepsnbunnies]

Oh my goodness!!

I am so sorry.

Lisa

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm not sure it was raccoons. It does not fit any of these descriptions that well, but I would not be surprised it was either a pack of coyotes or possibly a fox feeding her young or teaching her young to hunt.

Sometimes, chickens manage to get away and hide when attacked. Don't totally give up hope for all of them yet.

http://osuextra.okstate.edu/pdfs/F-8204web.pdf

 

[TreeHugger]

Raccons have their babies in late March thru early April. The babies are starting to follow momma about this time of year. A few years ago a had a a group of young ones (raccons) get into one of my pens. They killed about a dozen birds & only ate on a few of them. I can see them packing off maybe one of your birds but not all six. Personally it sounds like a dog to me. They will defeather & pack off a bird & then come back for the rest. Sorry for the loss, it sucks

 

[mmtillman]

I am so sorry for your loss

We had the same thing happen last year.... All my 9 birds gone at once, and they were very large hens and one large rooster...no sign anywhere of them...just feathers.
I agree with others on here..probally a fox and her babies learning to hunt.
Again...I am so sorry .........

 

[chickflick]