Predator identification help please! *seek and destroy*

[sealer39]

Could be dogs, bob cat, coyotes, but since you already identified fox dens those are probably the ones getting them.

 

[Chicken Heel]

Any feral dogs in your area? Otherwise, foxes with young ones the most likely. They are crafty varmints. Will add that mass kills sounds like dogs. Foxes tend to only kill what they eat but they do eat every day.

 

[Trish1974]

Foxes tend to only kill what they eat but they do eat every day.

Not necessarily. I've seen foxes both single kill and cache kill.

 

[Elsveta641]

Not necessarily. I've seen foxes both single kill and cache kill.

The multiple kills on one occasion all were eaten, one broody hen and her newborn chicks and a dozen chicks about a month old.
On the other multiple kill occasions one or a few were eaten and the rest left behind. The most recent multiple kill, an entire pen of beautiful 3 month old grow outs and a Serama were slaughtered but only one bird was eaten. The rest were killed with a bite to the face and left.
*Gruesome photos below for forensic purposes*

 

[BigBlueHen53]

A fox could not open a three-way latch. A raccoon might (???).... but I don't think they hunt during middle of the day, nor would they rip through a 1x4... every predator I can think of meets one or two criteria, but not all. Except a wolverine. But you're not in wolverine territory. And something terrified your poor cat. This is a puzzle! Let's ask some of the hunters.
@centrarchid?
@roosterhavoc
@cmom

 

[roosterhavoc]

Do you actually plan on trying to trap the animal? Are you going to go get the needed traps?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Oh, I'm sorry, your poor hens!

 

[Elsveta641]

A fox could not open a three-way latch. A raccoon might (???).... but I don't think they hunt during middle of the day, nor would they rip through a 1x4... every predator I can think of meets one or two criteria, but not all. Except a wolverine. But you're not in wolverine territory. And something terrified your poor cat. This is a puzzle! Let's ask some of the hunters.
@centrarchid?
@roosterhavoc
@cmom

That is the issue I'm having,nothing fits.
I did catch a raccoon on camera, but nothing died that day and he was very small maybe 4lbs.
I gave away 3 good hunting cats who were large and strong enough to do this, but the kills continued and now I have rats again. The remaining cat has been getting scolded after every dead chicken just in case, so his cowering ia not necessarily a sign of guilt. He just recognized something had happened he had been punished for. I've also had cats cower when a different cat peed in the house or jumped on the counter so unfortunately it's no proof one way or another.

The feathers were shown to and investigated by the remaining cats. They were very interested, very very. Which tells me there is a scent there much more interesting than chickens or a familiar cat.

 

[Elsveta641]

Do you actually plan on trying to trap the animal? Are you going to go get the needed traps?

I have 3 large live traps my friend, baited and set every night with varying baits including chicken. We caught a possum and our own cats so far. Our cats even went for marshmallows.

There is a pen set up as a trap in the barn. It contains a disabled hen who limps or a small rooster who take turns being bait. There is a hole that opens from the edge of the pen into a cage inside, the predator cannot gain access to the birds but there is a camera that will see him should he investigate that hole. Nothing has been caught on the camera at all

 

[roosterhavoc]

If you plan on allowing birds to run loose in your yard I’d suggest you pick up some foothold traps and learn how to prepare and set them.
Your cats and rooster weren’t a deterrent against a fox or a coyote or a raccoon for that matter.
I have a bunch of cats outside and a whole mess of gamefowl stags. They are just as susceptible as a buff Orpington.