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

[Folly's place]

Welcome, @Wendijean68 ! Yes, successful predators will return, so keeping your survivors in their safe coop and run is necessary, probably at least for weeks.
Electric fencing is a huge help against land predators like your coyotes, if it's legal to set it up where you live.
Mary

 

[Wendijean68]

Welcome, @Wendijean68 ! Yes, successful predators will return, so keeping your survivors in their safe coop and run is necessary, probably at least for weeks.
Electric fencing is a huge help against land predators like your coyotes, if it's legal to set it up where you live.
Mary

That’s what I thought.... they have always been free range- I’ve never had an issue and I have had chickens for over 6 years!!! I’m just sick about it.

 

[Folly's place]

Everyone loves chicken!
Our first chickens didn't have a coop, they roosted in our pole barn, and it was horrible! We learned, and set up a coop, and our losses dropped to near zero.
I've lost one bird at a time to hawks, and managed by locking the flock in for two or three weeks to discourage that one hawk.
After 20 or so years of chicken keeping, we had a fox kill ten nice hens one afternoon while they were out. Horrible! A neighbor was able to shoot the poor sick fox involved, when we couldn't get a clear shot at him ourselves.
Last spring our backyard dog fence failed, and one of our 'not safe with chickens' dogs got out and killed 28 birds, in a very short time, leaving 15 survivors. Absolutely horrible, and after over 25 years of chicken keeping, with everything as safe as we could make it.
I guess there are times when things go terribly wrong, and can't be fixed, and then just go forward.
This probably didn't help at all, except to say that I do understand, and so do many of us 'old fogies' here.
Mary

 

[HeiHeisMom]

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!

So sorry for your loss!!!
We have Coyotes and they will drag the chicken away.
Dogs won't eat birds whole, raccoon, skunk, o'possum, shred and go for organs over meat...
coyote or Bob cats are only night time predators I can think of that will carry.off entire birds... except.of course for humans.
Humans will steal animals for food or wired crap throughout the year.
especially around new or full moons, begining and mid seasons...
Hope you figure it out.
Coyotes and bobcats are often loud and humans are quiet monsters.

 

[Mtnboomer]

So sorry for your loss!!!
We have Coyotes and they will drag the chicken away.
Dogs won't eat birds whole, raccoon, skunk, o'possum, shred and go for organs over meat...
coyote or Bob cats are only night time predators I can think of that will carry.off entire birds... except.of course for humans.
Humans will steal animals for food or wired crap throughout the year.
especially around new or full moons, begining and mid seasons...
Hope you figure it out.
Coyotes and bobcats are often loud and humans are quiet monsters.

Foxes will carry off whole birds without a feather behind. They will usually take them into closest cover where they feel safe and eat.

 

[sarahb5]

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!

This happened to me last year and I was a wreck. Don’t blame yourself, we do our best. Our predator ended up a coyote. We found piles of feathers (chickens shed feathers in stress) and no bones. I’m so sorry you are dealing with this, I hope you find comfort reading about all of us who share your experience. Hugs to you.

 

[RickMartin2860]

Chloemae, when I built my chicken mansion as it's been nicknamed the one fear I had was something getting my chickens at nighttime. I did some digging and found an automatic chicken door from ladies first , it's a little pricey at around $200 but it's solar powered, easy to install and closes automatically by light intensity which is adjustable and opens also. Being a A/C service tech. I don't have to worry about the girls being locked in the coop safely at night.

 

[tatterscreek]

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 suspect fox. They would take them. Coons would most likely kill them and leave them.

 

[tvaumat]

In PA it could be any conceivable predator, i.e. raccoon, opossum, mink, coyote, fox, even bear, etc. One predator will often kill all the birds, consume what it can and plan to come back for the rest. Other animals will clean up what it doesn't consume if they are around.

 

[Dundottegal]

Breaks my heart to have all your hens lost. I have issues with Bobcats, fox, coons and possums even owls.
I know the pain of losing my hens and guineas. To these sneaky clever critters.
Taking one is bad enough but why all of them?