Raccoons or Weasel

[Thelucas]

One night I came home from a baseball game and i kept my chickens out in the run because it was day and light out when I left. When I came home my four chickens were all killed. One was laying out in the run but the other 3 were laying on top of each other in the inside coop part. I am only 12 so i ran away right when I saw them but my dad had to take them out to put them away. The second I saw them they looked bloody and had no feathers but the chicken out in the run had all its feathers. The next day my dad told me that they had most of there feathers and mostly here necks were eaten. I think it is a weasel but my Mom thinks its a raccoon because she has never seen a weasel were we live. (Near cleveland OH) We always see raccoons here and they always get in our garbage but the coop is pretty close to the ground and doesn't look like a raccoon can get into it. So please tell me what killed my chickens. I really dint want to kill the wrong thing then have the other kill my next ones.

 

[TheGLucas]

This is the same person on a different acount. Please reply if you read this!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I say weasel. They will only take the head off or bite the neck and drink the blood. They won't eat any of the meat. If any meat is eaten then it could be a raccoon. The weasel will also tend to like up the dead ones.
Not seeing a weasel (or any predator for that matter) doesn't mean they aren't there. I had never seen a mink before but they still killed 40 of my chickens.

ETA
Weasels are extremely difficult to trap. One reason is they don't respond to bait and only go after live prey. A conibear at the end of a 3" pvc pipe can work.

 

[TheGLucas]

Thank you for your advice

 

[tawana]

could be rats that live close by as well.. they love getting into the barns or coops to get the eggs or any feed thats laying around and will also possibly take down a chicken if given the chance. check around for holes near the barn or coop. seal up any food containers and put away food and water at night.

 

[spangledcornish]

I would think raccoon myself just from the piling description, they also enjoy the neck first on most birds.