Something attacked my chickens and I don’t know what it could be?!

[mckenna_anne]

So, my chickens go back to their coop when it starts to get dark out, and I lock them in their coop every night accept once or twice but they were fine. Yesterday I left to go to watch fireworks in town, I had come home with my Rooster running around in shock and my hen was laying in our feild hiding around 10PM. Today, I went to look for my other hen that was missing , I couldn’t find her anywhere but I found all of her feathers scattered around our yard but no remains, but I did find these blue feathers around their coop, Could anyone have any idea on what it could be?!

 

[HuskerHens18]

I think that's a blue jay feather, or a blue bird's feather. I'm very sorry something got your chicken
A coyote took my only pure Ameraucana and a poor 4 month old Splash Orphington. It was not a lot of feathers left, but you could see where he snatched and drug off each bird. Is there a trail of feathers or only a pile?
When dogs kill my chickens, they leave a pile, but eat all the other parts. Even feet and head.

 

[Flockandfowl46]

That looks like a blue Jay feather but not likely your suspect they will steal a chick but most likely they are hanging around the co-op for free feed

 

[HuskerHens18]

That looks like a blue Jay feather but not likely your suspect they will steal a chick but most likely they are hanging around the co-op for free feed

Holy crap, blue jays will steal chicks? How young of chicks? I should be more careful, I have tons of blue jays

 

[bruceha2000]

I've lost 2 hens to fox. There was a small pile of feathers at the attack site with the first. With the second I found several piles as I scouted around, I'm guessing either the bird wasn't dead yet or the fox dropped then picked her back up a couple of times releasing some feathers each time.

 

[Flockandfowl46]

Yes but they take the really young ones usually under 3 weeks

 

[HuskerHens18]

Yes but they take the really young ones usually under 3 weeks

Okay I'm safe then, phew. Thank you!

 

[mckenna_anne]

I think that's a blue jay feather, or a blue bird's feather. I'm very sorry something got your chicken
A coyote took my only pure Ameraucana and a poor 4 month old Splash Orphington. It was not a lot of feathers left, but you could see where he snatched and drug off each bird. Is there a trail of feathers or only a pile?
When dogs kill my chickens, they leave a pile, but eat all the other parts. Even feet and head.

I did so much research and I also seen that it could be a blue jay but I was so confused. She literally followed me everywhere it makes me sad. It’s never good to lose a chicken. There was piles around my yard scattered into a trail everywhere.

 

[mckenna_anne]

My chickens are a little over 4 months old so they’re pretty big yet. This has happened before with my full adult hen, But I found all of her feathers in the woods. But this time, I found these feathers laying everywhere along with my chickens feathers but I didn’t think a blue jay was able to eat my almost full grown chicken while leaving nothing behind but feathers. We have had a raccoon running around here lately. But I live on a 98 acre farm so it could have been anything Which the hen that died last night is aggressive towards other people besides me so I know she put up a pretty good fight. Thank you everyone for replying

 

[HuskerHens18]

I did so much research and I also seen that it could be a blue jay but I was so confused. She literally followed me everywhere it makes me sad. It’s never good to lose a chicken. There was piles around my yard scattered into a trail everywhere.

I'm so sorry, it's always our favorites that die :'(