Lost two out of six...

[my8girls]

After three years of excellent security, we forgot to lock the coop last night for the first time. :-( Woke up to the "egg song" at about 5 am, in the dark. The remaining chickens were wandering around the yard squawking, and the unfortunate two had been mostly eaten! Both of them had completely empty abdomens and chests. One of them was even missing most of the ribs. Do raccoons eat the bones also? What else could have eaten so much? We live in Colorado, very close to the mountains. Lots of wildlife around here. Whatever it was also peed on the tire of our Jeep, marking its territory in our yard! What would do that? We've ruled out a bear (which we have seen nearby very recently) because there was no other damage besides the chickens.

They usually free range all day, and get locked in the coop within the locked run at night. They're locked in the run right now, and we're going to put a more complicated latch on the coop door today.

 

[rjohns39]

I'm betting on fox, coyote or wolf. pretty much everything goes for the internal organs first. If the head is missing, then I'd bet on an owl at least to start with. Often, when an aerial predator takes out bird, some of the less aggressive folks show up to dine on the remains. So sorry about your loss

 

[my8girls]

Thank you rjohns39! So sad. It was our Cochin (she was so sweet) and Easter egger. One was missing the head as well, and they were both completely gutted. There have been mountain lion sightings in the neighborhood, but I don't know that it would have fit through the coop door. It looks like a dog lifted its leg on the tire, but I highly doubt a dog did it. Would a fox have marked its territory like that?

 

[FrankieDoodle]

I'm so sorry for your loss I hope you find out what did that.

 

[rjohns39]

Thank you rjohns39! So sad. It was our Cochin (she was so sweet) and Easter egger. One was missing the head as well, and they were both completely gutted. There have been mountain lion sightings in the neighborhood, but I don't know that it would have fit through the coop door. It looks like a dog lifted its leg on the tire, but I highly doubt a dog did it. Would a fox have marked its territory like that?

I don't know about a fox, I imagine they would. I do know a coyote will. A dog will typically shake all the feathers off and generally a coyote or cat will take the whole bird. I suspect you have more than one critter in play here.

 

[Sara Ranch]

*hugs* I am sorry for your losses.