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

[jclausen]

Very sorry for your loss. I would think a Fox did this. We lost one hen about 3 months ago and looks like same predator. All we had left was the head. We also had feathers all over the your but it only took one of the four.

 

[littledog]

That's horrible, I'm so sorry! It sounds like you think you might have left the coop door open, but you're not sure? It could be raccoons, they tend to live in suburban areas, and are pretty clever at opening doors and figuring out latches to get at what they want, depending on what type of latch you have. If it's raccoons, maybe get a latch that's more difficult, like a screw gate carabiner?
It might also be an owl - same M.O. as the hawks you've seen in daytime, but they hunt at night. Owls are really quick to grab their prey, but wouldn't be able to open the door, though.
Raccoons tend to kill chickens at the site, and leave gory evidence including bloodstains. Raptors like hawks and owls tend to kill quickly and then airlift their prey away to their nest, leaving nothing but feathers.
Was there any other evidence besides piles of feathers? Any blood or other gory evidence? Piles of feathers and nothing else point to raptors, gory evidence points to mammals.
Is your chicken run closed at the top by wire or netting? Is it closed at the bottom by no-dig hardware cloth?
Sorry to be such a CSI jerk about you losing your friends. Identifying predators can be a real pain, I've lost quite a few to different ones myself. Good luck to you securing your coop.

 

[Hobofarm]

So sorry to hear this.

 

[chloemae]

That's horrible, I'm so sorry! It sounds like you think you might have left the coop door open, but you're not sure? It could be raccoons, they tend to live in suburban areas, and are pretty clever at opening doors and figuring out latches to get at what they want, depending on what type of latch you have. If it's raccoons, maybe get a latch that's more difficult, like a screw gate carabiner?
It might also be an owl - same M.O. as the hawks you've seen in daytime, but they hunt at night. Owls are really quick to grab their prey, but wouldn't be able to open the door, though.
Raccoons tend to kill chickens at the site, and leave gory evidence including bloodstains. Raptors like hawks and owls tend to kill quickly and then airlift their prey away to their nest, leaving nothing but feathers.
Was there any other evidence besides piles of feathers? Any blood or other gory evidence? Piles of feathers and nothing else point to raptors, gory evidence points to mammals.
Is your chicken run closed at the top by wire or netting? Is it closed at the bottom by no-dig hardware cloth?
Sorry to be such a CSI jerk about you losing your friends. Identifying predators can be a real pain, I've lost quite a few to different ones myself. Good luck to you securing your coop.

Thank you so much for the information! I am sure it was my fault with the door. The coop is tight, wired and no gaps. I had them for 5 years, no issues. I am thinking it was a fox. My neighbor is walking now and found feathers a block away. There was no blood or bones from any of the 5 in the yard and no gaps in the fence.

 

[chloemae]

Please don't beat yourself up! It has happened to many of us and will happen to others again. You clearly did your best to protect and care for them properly, but we're all human and can forget to do things sometimes! Predators are tricky creatures and will take advantage of every opportunity. I've accidentally left the door open and have gotten lucky. I have also waited too late to put them up and an owl swooped in and took off with a younger chicken that liked to sleep in the run. These things happen and it's normal to feel sad but please know you're not alone and it's NOT your fault that the wild animal was hungry!

Thank you so much for the kind words. You are so sweet and I feel so guilty, I just have to work through it....

 

[TanyaTS]

I’m sorry for your loss. You sound like a good chicken keeper who had just one night of forgetfulness out of 365x5 perfect ones. Shed your tears and then chin up. I’m going to say they didn’t suffer.

 

[chloemae]

I’m sorry for your loss. You sound like a good chicken keeper who had just one night of forgetfulness out of 365x5 perfect ones. Shed your tears and then chin up. I’m going to say they didn’t suffer.

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....

 

[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.

 

[chloemae]

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.

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