something killing chikens in dylight

[a68cudas]

well i had a flock of 13 chickens. about a week and half ago one of my reds turned up missing no feathers or any evidance just gone. i beleive this happened during the day. today i was home and went outside around 1 pm and seen a ton of feathers from my roosters tail about 30 ft from back porch in middle of yard. i followed trail of feathers back into woods so far then came back home. I live in ohio and only thing i can think of killling them is a fox or coyote. Has anyone had problems with family pets killing and eating chikens? I do have an old beagle that stays outside mostly whom we found as a stray a few years back? I think im gonna put my game camera up where i beleive the animal is entering and leaving property at. I also think i might get a large live animal trap and bait it. my chickens roam the yard and dont go far but i havent had time or money as of yet to build a closed in run for them. What do you think could be the culprit killing my chikens? Thanks

 

[ga_goat]

I believe you answered your own question , it's probbably a dog , fox or cyotoe , how much woods are behind your house , how many houses within ½ mile of you , the less population the more likely it's a fox , the more population leans toward a dog .
A trail camera would tell you what it is ,but that means they/ it will get another chicken ,, try an electric fence between you and the woods that may keep whetever it is out / may not .

 

[MissD'uccle]

If its in the day my guess would be a dog. I live in the country and deal with many sorts of predators but have never seen a chicken taken in the day EXCEPT by dog. Occassionally a 'yote would take one in the very early morning hours or evening hours (dusk/dawn), but that was only once.

On a second note, as far as your dog is concerned, don't count it out. Unfortunately sometimes our furry friends will act out and start testing waters with taking chickens. I have lost a couple here and there to my own dog and have had to reinforce training. (he'd be good for a year, maybe more and another "freak" attack lol). Either way, just keep an eye out, put up protective measures for your feathered friends, and set a large live trap if ya have one.

Good luck, I know it can be VERY frustrating!

 

[jerseygirl1]

I've had fox during the day kill my chickens,

IMO - if you have an old beagle and a missing chicken with no feathers nearby, I say young fox

 

[moondog425]

Foxes prowl during the day , Thats what I would bet on....But dogs love chicken!!!

 

[zoo2u]

In the day it could also be a hawk, but you won't usually see any feathers from the hawk. But you could if it attacked the rooster but the rooster was too large for it, i have had that happen. not much to do except get them a pen and safe place as soon as possible. You can even use a dog kennel till you can afford to do something else, just something to keep the predators out.

 

[Tdub4chiks]

I see fox during the day quite often here in this little town in CNY.

 

[hudsonhousechicks]

It's weird that the first chicken would be missing completely, no feathers present or anything. That makes me think that it isn't the dog. Wouldn't the dog bark at a coyote or a fox though? I have a 13 year old, 3-legged shepherd mix who needs to be carried up and down stairs so he can potty outside and I still wouldn't trust him around our chickens. I think he has one last hurrah left in him and I don't want it to be my pullets that are almost ready to lay! Let us know what your camera turns up.

 

[Marshmallow Man]

Daytime is the only time I've ever had a Fox take one or two. Usually during drizzly weather. At night everyone is locked up tight. Our dog killed a couple chickens that were out of the pen though. Just killed them for fun.

 

[wildeflowers]

Dont' know if you saw my thread, but my pair of polish went missing today, too. No feathers, nothing. I can only guess it was a roaming dog, a fox or a hawk. If it was a dog, I assume I would have seen feathers. Don't know what's going on.