Lost my first chicken today

[docjenn]

Hi, I have had 2 hens for the last couple years, that pretty much free range during the day. We have 2 Brittany dogs. Our older dog leaves the chickens alone, and the younger dog tries to play with the chickens, but has not done them any harm in the year we've had her. The chickens usually just go into the neighbor's yard if the dog is annoying them. We also have 6 10 1/2-week old chicks in a coop (not free ranging them) and have been waiting till they get bigger to integrate the 2 hens in with them. Sadly we lost one of our hens last evening. Before dark, I went out and found one of my girls laying by the chick coop with no head. Our initial thought was to blame the dogs (but there was no mess) dogs are clean and left the body alone (it was cool when i found it). I have seen raccoons in the neighborhood in the past, but I've never seen them around our yard because of the dogs. I saw an owl about a year ago swoop down while the chickens were inside the coop, so I know they are around, but during light hours (sometime between 5-7pm)? There are also reportedly coyotes around, but our yard is fenced and I have never seen them. Do dogs eat only the chicken heads or can I blame it on a unknown predator?

Second question would be if it is okay to put my single 2 year old hen in with the 10 1/2 week old chicks, so she doesn't have to be alone?

 

[docjenn]

Our neighbor has a huge slash pile that homes some huge rats. Could a rat catch and kill a full grown chicken? She was out in the yard not cooped up, so she should have been able to escape?

 

[tcstoehr]

Unknown predator. There are several that will eat the head and leave the rest. But as usual, the prime suspect is a raccoon. Guilty until proven innocent.