Something took all but one chicken

[lilacpoint]

Hi,
I went out to the chicken coop to feed the chickens. Every hen was gone except the rooster. It happened during the day when I went to work. Feathers all over the place.

I always lock them in at night. I open their door at 5:30am before going to work. It is light out at that time during the summer.

Last wk. I found one hen dead in her nest box where they lay their eggs.

She had no insides left. Looked just like she was ready to be stuffed. Her neck and head was gone. All that was left was an empty hen with legs and feathers. I was shocked.

What in the world could have done this?

We have hens that live in the barn and they fly up to the rafters for the night. They are still there.

Haven't seen any bad critters around for a long time.

I do know we have coyotes, raccoons, opossums, skunks and weasles. I have never seen a weasle before, but have not seen the others I mentioned in a long time.

I live in the country in upstate ny.

lilacpoint

 

[Bizzybirdy]

Awwwwwwwww...so sorry.

>>I open their door at 5:30am before going to work.<<

The hen on the nest sounds like it was done in by a racoon. One of mine years ago was sitting and ended up just like yours, no head, etc. Was a racoon.

If the sun was just coming up during the other incident maybe was a fox...if it was still kinda dark could have been a racoon or 2.

How many hens did you lose? Were they in a pen?

 

[lilacpoint]

Hi,

I lost 6 hens. The coup is inside a pen. In the winter we leave a light on in the coup.

It is really scary to know there are so many wild animals out there. They could be rabid. We had to kill a rabid racoon one year. It got in our celler. Sometimes at night we hear the coyotes.

Take care
lilacpoint

 

[farmergal]

I am so sorry!

No clue as to what did it... but I am so sorry for your loss. I lost 20 birds in one night to a fox, and it still hurts to remember it.