Need help! I don't know what got them!

[Motherhen25]

just last night or early this morning something killed two of my month old baby chicks. One of them had her neck bitten off partially and we can't find the other we assumed she had been taken. They were all there last night when I checked, they have a pen with roost bar set up inside the big hens run the sides of the run are buried and the top covered with no possible openings. The only space is a tiny opening above the door that had chicken wire covering it tied with steel wiring. What was it? How can I get rid of it? How do I make sure it doesn't happen again?

 

[Motherhen25]

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Possible culprits depend on where you live. Where is it?
Are you absolutely positive the only opening is 1"? That would eliminate virtually anything but mink or weasels and they just kill without taking any meat or whole animals - and they kill every animal in the enclosure.

 

[Folly's place]

Rats are also possible. Recheck your coop; no openings larger than 1/2" diameter!!!
So sorry for your losses. There's a problem somewhere, so look very hard. It's also possible that the varmit was in the coop when you closed it up, or that there's a spot where something dug in.
Mary

 

[Howard E]

Please show a picture of the coop setup and the place where you think this bad guy might have gotten in.

In addition to those already mentioned, coons are high on the list of suspects.

 

[Motherhen25]

Thanks for all you advice we found a small opening where the chicken wire goes across the top to meet the side of the fence, that and the space in the door are what we think the murderer used to get in. @Howard E, we think it was a raccoon also, or a possum, the fence isn't that high from ground level since its buried

 

[Bonniebooboo]

Get your live trap out and set it with some bait, I use can cat food, it has done great catching coons/ and opossums. I set it right next to the chicken run . Your predator will be back for more since it was able to get in and kill 2. Best of luck.

 

[aart]

we found a small opening where the chicken wire goes across the top to meet the side of the fence

If it can't find that opening you closed, and it will be back for more, it may go right thru the chicken wire. Consider heavier mesh and/or hot wire.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

And never assume a raccoon can't reach or climb something. I saw a video yesterday of a raccoon outside the window of a 23 story brick building. They are one of the few animals that can descend a tree head first.
Much more effective for raccoons than a live/box trap are duke dog proof leg traps, snares and conibear body traps (size #220-#330).
Last year I had the DP leg trap twenty feet away from a live trap. Both with the same bait. Caught 10 raccoons in the leg trap and zero in the live trap.
If I were to rely on the live trap alone, this place would still be a raccoon superhighway.