Racoon Attack

[jjhuntsalot]

I had a racoon attack. It killed 1 white silkie and a black polish. It left the black polish it was young just split from vent to sternum. But my white silkie was older and it didn't leave any of it but the head. I caught the racoon the next night in a trap and disposed of it. There is a place in the fence where it looks pulled out into a cone shaped but still know hole. It has 1 " hex wire. There aren't that many white silkie feathers. There isn't any holes in the fence anywhere and it is completely covered with wire too. I fixed a two inch gap where the coop door attaches to the board the fence is nailed to. Other than that there is an 1.5" gap at the top of the door to get into the run. What do you think happened? Did the racoon get in that first night. Or do you think that he got them through the side of the fence. And how did he get the silkie out of there with no large amount of blood or feather loss. Any opions will be appreciated.

 

[StrawberryHouseMouse]

They usually kill at night. Silkies have a habbit of sleeping on the ground or a very low roost. The Raccoon likely got ahold of it while it was sleeping. Wind could have blown away some of the feathers. Other chickens might have ate them too. Ive had chickens eat feathers before. Expecially if they had blood on them. Whatever blood was on the ground might have got licked up by the coon and or dried and covered by dirt or bedding. A coon has workable thumbs and some times resembles the ability to act much like any human Ive ever seen when it comes to holding things. A swift bite to the head or neck would of stopped any apparent struggle. Not all preditors leave a mess behind.