Something broke a hole into the side of the coop last night!!

[FLchook]

This morning seemed sorta quiet as I left for the gym at 5:45 am...I was half asleep so nothing really struck me at the time. But when I got home I went down to feed the animals and open up the coop. It was still silent. I looked into the window and saw a headless chicken laying on top of the nest boxes!!! No movment, and dead silence. I was comfused, all doors were shut, and the windows are covered with chicken wire. But then I saw it.....a hole beat into the wall, about 4 foot up! I Couldnt belive it, I still cant.

Well when I finally got the corage to look inside, I found Paka and Crystal right next toLittle Tipps. What ever it was either drug them all up there to eat, or they flew there trying to get away from the beast.

The other 6 hens have taken to sleeping in the rafters of the barn. Since the nights have been warm, I havent bothered trying to get them down. They are safe, but I think they miss the other 3. I saw Nugget circling the coop and looking into the window, sorta lost, wondering why her friends and thier roo arent coming out to play.

I just feel plain awful. I remember closing up the coop saying good night and looking right into Crystals face telling her she looks just like her daddy. Never did I think it would be the last time id see her.

So what do you guys think might have done this? They are just headless, thought some of the insides are next to the bodies.

Thanks,
Shannon

 

[Scrambled Egg]

Oh my gawd, how awful, so very sorry

 

[scgamecock]

I had a neighbors rotweiler eat a hole in the side of my son's bantam house last spring and killed 15.Only 9 survived but I couldn't believe it.

 

[SpottedCrow]

Raccoon, possibly.

I'm sorry for your losses...

 

[GwenFarms]

I would guess raccoon, or opposum.

 

[2dream]

How awful. How big is the hole?
I had a weasel just take the heads of of about 10 chickens once. It took me a week to finally dispose of that varmit.

 

[flip9109]

Thats Insane. any clues? tracks? hair? bitemarks? size of the hole? was it broken or chewed (I'm gussing wood) what is your surounding area like?

 

[JudyMcKinn]

What's the wall made of, and how thick and sturdy was it? Sure sorry. Is it something a dog could have done? Apparently your wall wasn't solid wooden boards?

 

[FLchook]

It wasnt a large whole, maybe 6-8 inchs in diameter. Maybe a bit bigger. I havent measured, actually it still makes me sick to look at the coop and think of what my babies went through.

As for what its made of...its wood frame with thin plywood. Looking at it shows that the wood isnt as tough as it used to be, but what ever it was had to work.

The coop is in the pasture, but there is a thin line of trees behind it. The trees separate the house area and the pasture.

No sign of tracks and never thought to check for bit marks. Ill have to do that in the morning.

 

[flip9109]

6-8 inches should just about rule out dogs.

you said the hole is about 4 ft from the ground. is there something there to stand on or is the hole kind of in mid air? (did the creature have to be tall enuf to reach that hight?)