Strange chicken hunting animal

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

I’ve been having a problem. Dealt with raccoons before, but they usually take the whole body, or only the head. Yesterday, I woke up to a dead Leghorn. She was the only bird out, but was also the fastest and most agile in my flock.
Last night, I heard something outside my window, chasing a chicken into the nearby woods. My mom went out to take a look, and didn’t see anything. But when we woke up, there were feathers and other remnants in the usual spot, about 15- 20 feet from our front porch. Whatever is out there is either shy enough or smart enough to avoid people. And it can probably climb trees. Maybe a small bobcat?

 

[DemeterAD9]

I would think a bobcat would eat the whole thing, bones and all. Possibly a feral cat or possum? Something not capable of taking off with the entire bird seeing as it is still in your yard. I’d leave the carcass and put up a trail cam near it to see if the predator comes back.

 

[Folly's place]

Better yet, put the carcass in a large live trap, and have a camera out there.
Aren't your chickens in a safe coop at night! It's the only way to protect them while they are roosting.
Mary

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

I would think a bobcat would eat the whole thing, bones and all. Possibly a feral cat or possum? Something not capable of taking off with the entire bird seeing as it is still in your yard. I’d leave the carcass and put up a trail cam near it to see if the predator comes back.

Some of the chickens have been found near the end of my driveway, a good 2 acres from the coop at the other end of the property. I have traps out, but haven’t caught anything in a while. I know that there are barn cats on the property, but I keep them well fed, and they haven’t gone after anything bigger than a squirrel to my knowledge.

 

[2 Acres]

Some of the chickens have been found near the end of my driveway, a good 2 acres from the coop at the other end of the property. I have traps out, but haven’t caught anything in a while. I know that there are barn cats on the property, but I keep them well fed, and they haven’t gone after anything bigger than a squirrel to my knowledge.

Put the carcass in the trap and see what shows up.

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

Put the carcass in the trap and see what shows up.

This is an old thread. I did and ended up catching an enormous raccoon! I mean, the raccoons come every year, but this was particularly large. I was super angry, but then I actually got out to the trap to see it, and he was just a fluffy little guy. I released him into the wild, a good ways away from people and in an area that already had raccoons. So far I’ve only had 3 other losses, all chicks that wandered too far from the flock. They’re bigger now, so that probably won’t be a problem.

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

This is an old thread. I did and ended up catching an enormous raccoon! I mean, the raccoons come every year, but this was particularly large. I was super angry, but then I actually got out to the trap to see it, and he was just a fluffy little guy. I released him into the wild, a good ways away from people and in an area that already had raccoons. So far I’ve only had 3 other losses, all chicks that wandered too far from the flock. They’re bigger now, so that probably won’t be a problem.

Side note: I started incubating soon after that leghorn died. I’ve got 3 leghorns from eggs collected in two days, so I’m thinking one of them is hers