Okay, something has done away with 4 of my hens now. I have NO clue what it is. All I know is that it is attacking the hens that are roosting on top of my run at night or in the branches in the trees.
The hens all thought they were smart to start roosting in the trees (some have been doing it for a year now). A couple always stayed on top of the run. Last week one of my young spring chickens went missing. So I thought it somehow escaped the yard or got taken by something. Then 3 days later I could tell a chicken was attacked in my yard by the trail of feathers. Sure enough I found her dead, with her bottom ripped out (but he egg laying intact next to her eww, I know). She was the one who stayed on the run at night. Her friend must have been scared enough because that night I found her ready for bed in the coop, with the only hen that stays in the coop.
Today 2 more went missing. My neighbor left a note saying that he found a mauled to death chicken in his backyard. The other one is MIA like the first one.
Would a raccoon climb the trees to get to the chickens? I'm in a pretty urban area, so I'm most likely thinking it's not a bobcat
(but who knows). The attacks are happening at night. I think between 4-6am. With the "found" chickens my dog has woken me up barking. the first time at 5:30 but I didn't think anything of it (dead chicken number 1) Last night he barked again at 4am, so I got dressed and went out with my flashlight but didn't see anything (including one of the missing chickens, I didn't see her when I went out at 7am either).
I'm bummed because both girls that went missing today were my green eggers, and one was all white!
WHAT COULD IT BE?
The hens all thought they were smart to start roosting in the trees (some have been doing it for a year now). A couple always stayed on top of the run. Last week one of my young spring chickens went missing. So I thought it somehow escaped the yard or got taken by something. Then 3 days later I could tell a chicken was attacked in my yard by the trail of feathers. Sure enough I found her dead, with her bottom ripped out (but he egg laying intact next to her eww, I know). She was the one who stayed on the run at night. Her friend must have been scared enough because that night I found her ready for bed in the coop, with the only hen that stays in the coop.
Today 2 more went missing. My neighbor left a note saying that he found a mauled to death chicken in his backyard. The other one is MIA like the first one.
Would a raccoon climb the trees to get to the chickens? I'm in a pretty urban area, so I'm most likely thinking it's not a bobcat
(but who knows). The attacks are happening at night. I think between 4-6am. With the "found" chickens my dog has woken me up barking. the first time at 5:30 but I didn't think anything of it (dead chicken number 1) Last night he barked again at 4am, so I got dressed and went out with my flashlight but didn't see anything (including one of the missing chickens, I didn't see her when I went out at 7am either).
I'm bummed because both girls that went missing today were my green eggers, and one was all white!
WHAT COULD IT BE?
