My heart is broken

[16 paws]

Could anyone help me? My son and I are working on our second coop and we just went into the garage for a few minutes and came out to see what looked like a thousand feathers. My beloved Dixie, light brahma had been killed. This was at 11 am this morning. We followed a trail of many feathers to find her body and head. The head was ripped off her poor little body. We did not hear anything! Nothing, not a yell for help or a squak, nothing. The other hens were also out but in another part of our yard. We had been working in and out all morning. So what ever got her knew just the right time to kill her. There was no blood or anything where most of the feathers were. That is the spot where it got her and she was taken farther away from the house and left there. I don't know if we walked out and something heard us and left her or what. I really would like to know what got her so I can take steps to protect the others.
All my other hens are mad that they are in lock down. I really want to let them out to free range but I don't want this to happen again.I want to add this is out first loss. We have had the hens for almost a year.
Please help me...
Marie from Vista

 

[tennesseechickie]

So sorry for your loss! Ive been dealing with this for over a year now. It only takes a second for something to grab a docile, sweet hen. Since this was daytime, it sounds like possibly a hungry wild dog. Weve had a lot of problems with wild dogs getting ours since last summer. Im down from 12 to 4. It could also be a hungry wild cat, but they are usually more active at night.

If you live in the country, it will be near impossible to let them free range without having loss. Especially now that whatever got your girl will probably be back when its hungry again, and may possibly alert his pack to where the "food" is.

If you can, maybe get a good guard dog, or build a bigger run and dont let them free range unless you are in the yard with them at all times. About near impossible though isnt it? I love seeing my girls run around the yard, but at the end of the day I wonder if I will still have 4, or if Ill be down to 3 now. Sigh.

My next round of hens will be the kind that can run like hell and fly high!

 

[GooseyMcGee]

If it ripped off her headit was most likely a raccoon.

 

[Reurra]

Sounds like a coon. Its rare fr them to come out during the day, but it can happen.

Build a large run and never let them out again. Even when you are there, hawks can get them. I was reading on here about one woman who was sitting in the yard when a hawk shot down and grabbed one of her girls.

I have a rooster for my girls. He is very suspicious of every little thing and will call the girls back to the coop or make weird noises when he sees something he suspects as dangerous. Hes a good boy, 2 years old and not a whacko teenage roo.

100+ hugs for your loss

 

[nbenevento]

Yep, that sounds like a raccoon. Set some traps and load the 22. If you have pets around, look into a hand trap and use marshmallows in it. Good luck and keep us posted.