Predator took all 5 hens last night! I feel horrible!

[CluckNDoodle]

I'm so so sorry for your loss! Coyotes or foxes were my first thought as well. I'm not sure what kind of predators you have there but my friend lost quite a few to a bobcat as well.

 

[chloemae]

Thank you all for the advice and input. No tracks and no bones or bodies, the ground was frozen last night, just clumps of feathers around the yard. My neighbors nor I heard nothing. Would a fox climb a fence and be able to take the dead chickens over? Do you guys presume that whatever killed each chicken, pulled each one out and ate them there or killed them and took them away? I am just wondering if they suffered as we heard no yelling and there are nothing but feathers left....and how a predator got all 5 at once....I am still in shock....

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Here are a couple of informational links on a couple of your possible predators to hopefully help you.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-to-protect-your-chickens-from-coyotes.47685/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ow-to-protect-your-chickens-from-foxes.47726/

 

[Love my chickens 25]

That is awful, my neighbor is tracking the feathers and so far is a block down. He sees all feathers, no bodies.....

Good to have helpful neighbors

 

[2 many chickens]

I'm guessing a fox or two. They usually kill and snatch the birds.. then take them to their den.

 

[Birdsong 82]

My goodness I am so sorry. Losing them all is heartbreaking
I was leaving for work one morning and I leave sometimes at like 4:30 AM so it was still dark and my cat usually goes outside when I leave for work I heard the chickens making noises but nothing crazy but then I heard my cat banging on their fencing running all around the run. He loves the chickens so of course immediately ran down there. Possum. I got lucky and obviously got there quick enough I unfortunately found one of my girls disemboweled and another one severely injured tried to help her but she was too far gone. All the rest of them were huddled in the corner behind my rooster. I praise the cat so much because if it wasn't for him I would've had a lot more losses on my hands Couldn't figure out how the possum got in then I realized when we expanded their run and put the fence up the day before we believe he must've been already under the coop it actually fenced him in the run and he couldn't leave. Talk about feeling guilt it's like we put the predator in there to where even he couldn't get out Predators are crafty and sometimes we slip up and even when we don't sometimes they still find that way.
We're not all perfect but for five years in only one mistake that's pretty darn close. You're the type of person that should have chickens. Five years of happiness is a lot more than most chickens ever get
I want to say don't beat yourself up to but I know the feeling of guilt and it's hard to just suck that up quickly. Hopefully it will reduce overtime and you can turn it into ambition. Ambition to find out what the predator was put up some electric fencing things of that nature.
Again I can't imagine losing all of them at once it happened to my mother-in-law and she is a hard lady I've never seen her cry but she cried her heart out
I'm so sorry

 

[Birdsong 82]

Something popped in my head as I was reading through threads. If you can bring yourself to get chickens again which in my opinion I really think you should. But have you ever thought of maybe adopting rescue hens. It would be giving them a good life again. Do you already have the set up and the heart which are the two main things that those chickens need. Just throwing that out there as a suggestion. And definitely understand healing time being needed

 

[Hobofarm]

So sorry to hear this.

 

[ariri30]

Hi Everyone, thank you to everyone at this forum as you have all been so helpful! Every night I have a routine which includes checking on my 5 hens and closing their hutch door. I have done this for 5 years. Last night I am assuming I forgot as I noted the main door open this AM. All of my chickens are gone. There are no bodies, bones, etc. - just piles of feathers. I live in town with 2 sides of 8 foot fence and 2 sides of 4 foot fence. Hawks have been my daytime issues in the past as I lost one of my birds two years ago to a hawk in the daylight. I feel horribly guilty. Does anyone know what predator, in a southeastern PA town would just leave feathers overnight, be able to kill 5 birds, and leave nothing more? There are no gaps in the fence bottom and I have 3 dogs who use my yard to run and play....thank you for any information. I truly appreciate it!

I lost two last summer the same way. Just feathers and no bodies. I figured out the way the predator was jumping in. Climbing a tree at the back of my property and it took them up that way to the roof of the building next to the tree. The owner of the building went up there and found the dead chickens.
it’s a terrible feeling to lose your chickens that way. I still don’t know what killed them.

 

[TanyaTS]

Thank you for the kind words ❤. I love every single animal I have and am that person who saves earthworms from the hot sidewalks and takes wildlife that are injured to the local center who cares for them. I am going to try to move forward and try not to look back, I am just really shaken up and feel horribly guilty....
[/QUOTE
oh that is me too - I really get it..
It makes it hard when you care so much and an accident happens, but life is filled with countless examples of this. Try to let go of guilt. I don’t think they suffered. And they all went together so no worries about the sorrowful demise of a surviving chicka losing her buddy. That happened to one of my friends - she lost 2 to a fox and the last one living was miserable and eventually died a month later. Broken stressed out chicka heart syndrome.