Something got into my covered run and coop

[AZcluckers]

2 days ago, around 7:30am, I heard the chickens yelling. I went outside to check on them and one was missing. Nothing but feathers in the coop. Didn't see blood or a body. Did find a small hole at the top of the run. Fixed that. My question, though, what can get in a run and out so easily? No holes at the bottom, just the very top. I can't see a hawk getting in and out so easily. Coyote? Bobcat? Racoon? What can come in through the top? Whatever it was hasn't come back so that's weird too. I fully expected it would. I have put cameras out to try and catch it.

 

[Folly's place]

Weasel or rat, or something larger, depending on the size of the hole. Raccoon if the hole is that big. Openings no larger than 1/2" everywhere are necessary, or some predator will get inside sooner or later.
Any tunnels on the floor, they could be pretty small too.
Pictures of your coop and run will help here.
Mary

 

[theoldchick]

Game camera and electric wire will help. Sorry you lost your hen.

 

[Toothpick]

Bobcat easily could. Depending on the size of the hole as mentioned. Probably anything but a canine bread of sorts or birds could crawl in from the top. But it would take something stout to carry off a chicken. I thought weasels (stoats, mink, martens, fishers, etc. ) would take the head off right in the coop? But maybe not. I’ve only seen that once and I think it was a mink. Took the heads off about 5 or 6 chickens and left them right in the coop.

 

[mowin]

How large was the hole?
You'd be surprised how well a fox can climb, but could be a number of predators.

 

[Geena]

How large was the hole?
You'd be surprised how well a fox can climb, but could be a number of predators.

Yep, I had a fox scrabble up and over a 6 foot privacy fence into one of my breeding pens, And back out again when the dogs discovered him and somehow still managed to escape. He killed all 7 birds in that pen in just a few minutes. My son got him later when he returned for his spoils.

 

[McChooky]

2 days ago, around 7:30am, I heard the chickens yelling. I went outside to check on them and one was missing. Nothing but feathers in the coop. Didn't see blood or a body. Did find a small hole at the top of the run. Fixed that. My question, though, what can get in a run and out so easily? No holes at the bottom, just the very top. I can't see a hawk getting in and out so easily. Coyote? Bobcat? Racoon? What can come in through the top? Whatever it was hasn't come back so that's weird too. I fully expected it would. I have put cameras out to try and catch it.

Game cameras can help identify a potential threat before an attack takes place . 1/2" hardware cloth over the top & all openings will make it predator proof. My guess is this was a bob cat because they're wary of humans .They'll grab one & run if they're hungry enough.

 

[TOR]

Small hole I would say racoon. Depends on size whole and what predators you have in your neck of the woods.
Racoon will carry away a chicken. I watched one grab one of mine once and run away with it.

 

[AGeese]

Well if it was a Mink or some other Weasal I think it wouldn't have left without blood.

 

[AZcluckers]

I'm sorry it took a long time to reply. We did catch what it was. We had cameras in the coop but those cameras don't save recordings, which I'm fixing that. Anyways, I so happened to be awake when it came back (the night after it took the rest) and saw it. Bobcat. Took the entire flock before we figured it out. We did fix, or so we thought, the spot it got in from. Until I woke up to no chickens. We're building a solid roof on the run and will check every inch, and letting my dogs hang out near the empty coop/run, to see if they can get in, before our new girls go out.