Predators Killing Chickens

[Kenzie22]

I am struggling with predators getting in the chicken coop and killing chickens. 1 hen was killed overnight 7/9-7/10, 2 hens were killed overnight 7/11-7/12, 2 hens killed 7/13-7/14, and 1 hen killed overnight 7/14-7/15. The first night they came in between the roof/gutter and window (the window is covered in turkey house fan covers), the next night they came in through the outdoor run, they folded the chicken wire down and crawled in the top, the third night they chewed or messed with the chicken wire enough to open a hole about the size of a softball along the ground, and they fourth night they came in between the roof and gutter.
They are not taking the chickens with them to eat. The heads are ripped off, and some have the intestines messed with/chewed at. There are lots of feathers.
Since this has started we have trapped 2 raccoons and killed 3 other raccoons in the cow pasture. There are also cats where they are kept, but they have been around for a long, long time now and have never messed with them. We live on a farm and they have recently went back to feeding the cows by the bucket fulls rather than by self feeders, so we think that the raccoons have lost their easy source of food, so have now found the chicken coop, but we were told by someone else that it could be foxes, possums, raccoons, minks, or weasels. I have researched some, but can't find anything too specific to one thing or the other. Any thoughts and information would be very much appreciated.
I do not have any pictures, but if it happens again, I can take some and upload them then.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sounds like a raccoon if things are pried open. Things like skunk and weasel can squeeze in small holes. Setting up a game camera is your best option to see what's doing it.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Sounds like raccoons to me and since you've already been catching them that's my vote.

 

[Kenzie22]

The goal is to set up a cellcam of some sort, but for reference, what would a cat do if they were the ones doing it?

 

[McChooky]

The goal is to set up a cellcam of some sort, but for reference, what would a cat do if they were the ones doing it?

While a big domestic cat is capable of killing a chicken they aren't strong enough to drag a fence down or chew holes in chicken wire. When a coon chewed a hole in our ductwork in the the dead of winter the crew that came out and fixed it charged us almost $1500

 

[McChooky]

"Since this has started we have trapped 2 raccoons and killed 3 other raccoons in the cow pasture. There are also cats where they are kept, but they have been around for a long, long time now and have never messed with them"

You won't find anything that isn't shattered, scattered, bent or chewed on if one ever gets in your house.They'll get in your kitchen cabinets and throw everything in the floor. People who've rescued them and released them later have had them pull the siding off their houses to try to get to the food.You can easily trap 5-10 coons after having a couple chickens killed because they bring their whole family to dinner

 

[McChooky]

I am struggling with predators getting in the chicken coop and killing chickens. 1 hen was killed overnight 7/9-7/10, 2 hens were killed overnight 7/11-7/12, 2 hens killed 7/13-7/14, and 1 hen killed overnight 7/14-7/15. The first night they came in between the roof/gutter and window (the window is covered in turkey house fan covers), the next night they came in through the outdoor run, they folded the chicken wire down and crawled in the top, the third night they chewed or messed with the chicken wire enough to open a hole about the size of a softball along the ground, and they fourth night they came in between the roof and gutter.
They are not taking the chickens with them to eat. The heads are ripped off, and some have the intestines messed with/chewed at. There are lots of feathers.
Since this has started we have trapped 2 raccoons and killed 3 other raccoons in the cow pasture. There are also cats where they are kept, but they have been around for a long, long time now and have never messed with them. We live on a farm and they have recently went back to feeding the cows by the bucket fulls rather than by self feeders, so we think that the raccoons have lost their easy source of food, so have now found the chicken coop, but we were told by someone else that it could be foxes, possums, raccoons, minks, or weasels. I have researched some, but can't find anything too specific to one thing or the other. Any thoughts and information would be very much appreciated.
I do not have any pictures, but if it happens again, I can take some and upload them then.

Your cats would likely be dead if they were competing for the same source of food as the coons.They won't allow them to hunt in their territory.Coons will also eat cats if they have no other food
https://wildlifechecklist.com/can-a-raccoon-kill-a-cat-how-to-prevent-your-pets-from-raccoons

 

[Penpal]

Did you kill the coons that you trapped? You need to kill them, not relocate.

 

[Kenzie22]

Did you kill the coons that you trapped? You need to kill them, not relocate.

Yes. They are being killed once they are trapped.

 

[jbj25]

It is most definitely the raccoons. You can trap them, kill them, whatever, but there will just be more of them. The only sure way to stop it is to make your coop and run predator proof.