Predator question

[Tashavas]

So, I’m kinda stumped as to what is getting after my chickens.
Last week we’ve had an incident where my two RIR hens were attacked by some animal. It was in the evening between 6 and 7 pm. Luckily they both got away. One is limping on her right leg, the other ended up with missing most of her tail feathers but no other major injuries.
We set up a live trap and last night ended up catching a raccoon. So we thought that this was a good thing but just tonight our Orpington hen was attacked as well. She was outside the coop laying on the grass when we got home (unfortunately a little later and after sun down) and there was a lot of her feathers everywhere. But just like the two RIR she is alive and no major injury.
Any idea as to what might be going on here and what to look out for.
We have set the trap again tonight and will see if anything else ends up in there.

 

[McChooky]

Because they've escaped and only lost feathers sounds like a dog. Raccoons and other wild predators would starve if everything they attacked got away.

 

[Krugerrand]

Odds are pretty good if you have one raccoon, you have more than one raccoon. They very often travel in family groups. At the same time ... raccoon attacks are not easy things for chickens to survive.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Might be time to invest in a game camera.

 

[McChooky]

You might want to lock your chickens up in a secure area until you remove the threat .

 

[Folly's place]

x2. Everyone needs to be in their safe coop and run until this is resolved, and a game camera would be helpful too. Your predator will become more skilled, and your birds won't survive.
Mary

 

[Tashavas]

Thanks everyone for the input. We set the trap again last night after the incident and caught another raccoon. We relocated the first one and are now questioning if it was far enough.
But at the same time we also wonder if it’s a raccoon altogether because the fact they all made it without major injury.
Probably will invest in a camera trying to figure out what’s getting to them.

 

[Ridgerunner]

We set the trap again last night after the incident and caught another raccoon.

That's not at all unusual. Don't be surprised if you also catch a possum or a skunk. I have on back-to-back-to-back nights. Just because you catch something doesn't mean you caught the one doing the damage. I once shot 16 rabbits out of my garden before I got the last one that was eating my beans as they sprouted. Not all of them were eating those bean sprouts but I could not tell which ones were. I'm all in favor of removing critters hunting on my property, that reduces predator pressure, but it is not a cure-all. Good barriers are a more sure solution.

We relocated the first one and are now questioning if it was far enough.

You might want to check you state laws. It is probably illegal to release a critter anywhere except your own property unless you have the landowner's permission. I'd at least want to know what the law is. Depending in who has jurisdiction you might chat with animal control, the police or sheriff's office, or a park ranger. See what they recommend.

Personally I don't release them so I don't have to worry about how far away you have to go for them to not find their way back. I kill them. Again, this may be illegal where you are. There is not always an easy legal way to get rid of them when you trap them. Sometimes animal control will take them but certainly not always.

But at the same time we also wonder if it’s a raccoon altogether because the fact they all made it without major injury.

At that time of the day it could be about anything. Critters hunt any time day or night, though some seem to favor certain times. Dusk when your attacks took place are risky times, about everything can be active then. Hawks and owls as well as all those four legged critters. My worse predators have been dogs so they are certainly a possibility. While everything else is out to eat them, sometimes dogs just want to play.

 

[Purelychicks]

My best guess is a weasel or a dog! They usually mess with them and try to hurt them but won’t kill them/ eat them