One hen missing, two others wounded in the pen...what could it be?

[laurie29]

My chickens were in their pen, 8' high posts, chicken wire sides, plastic netting on top, but I see now there were some small gaps, but none big enough for the chickens to fly up through. The coop opens into the pen.

I came home after dark to close up the little door to the coop. Silence. One chicken was missing, two had been bitten at the tail, and one also on back under wing. I'm reading online, and realize a fox removes the chickens, but could it climb an 8' chicken wire fence? (No sign of digging under.) And would it have chased and bitten the other two like that? Or could it be raccoon or opossum? Doing triage with hydrogen peroxide and neosporin, hoping for the best.

 

[astalwawen]

Do you think they were attacked after dark then? If the animal climbed in, it could have been a raccoon or possum. Could an owl have gotten in the pen, because they have attacked our birds before? Whatever animal it was, it could have chased the birds, and grabbed and wounded some but they were able to escape, and once it finally got one, carried it off.

You might also want to spray the wounds with Blu-Kote. It works really well.

 

[laurie29]

Yes, I think after dark. Something climbed the fence and must have found a place to get in where the overhead netting meets the fence. The overhead netting would have prevented an owl.

I don't see how the thing could have dragged a large chicken up and pulled it through a small opening, but it must have. Everything I've read about raccoons says they bite their heads off, which didn't happen. Also says fox carries them off, but not sure if they'd climb that high and be that nimble.

Thanks for your reply, I'll look for Blu-Kote.