The Not so Fantastic Mr Fox (?)

[EasterEggerEthan]

So we’ve lost two hens the past two days, and I’m certain it’s a predator and not heat stroke because hen number two is literally nowhere to be found. Three tiny white feathers on the opposite side of the fence.

I’m assuming it’s a fox, simply because the last possum we had around here (that I know of) we found dead behind a shed. I’ve yet to see a raccoon, and apparently Mink are a thing in Maryland according to google, but once again I’ve never once seen or heard of one in my area. I have however seen a fox and coyotes, but a coyote seems a bit (a lot) large to get into the possible entry points.

My main question (ASSSUMING it indeed IS a fox im dealing with), is will it be back day three? I would imagine that he’d be a bit full after an entire Brahma in one night, but I also thought foxes only came at dusk, and the full sized hen died around 4 PM.

Do foxes take the whole chicken?
Chicken number one was left completely in tact with no removed feathers, aside from her comb being removed and laying in their kiddie pool filled with sand. She was up against a 2 inch hole though, so I at first thought something tried to pull her through, but I can’t think of something being able to fit through that hole backwards that would still be large enough to kill a massive hen and drag it.

We woke up today to the little Brahma gone without a trace, but I’m still confused on why it would take her and leave the bigger prize. And, still, no signs of ANY struggle.

There are of course feathers scattered, but one of my Easter Eggers always molts on her head around summer time and they appear to be hers based on the color.

I’m rather confused and checking outside every half hour. I put some pork in their metal dish to attempt to lure whatever it was into the run again (they’re screwed into the coop part, literally) so I could catch a glimpse at what I’m ACTUALLY dealing with, but no avail.

 

[MARSMOM]

Sounds like a raccoon if you don't have 1" or smaller HC covering the entire structure. They will come back every day. The entire raccoon Facebook community knows dinner is at your house.

 

[MARSMOM]

I lost 1 hen and 1 roo in one night to raccoons about a month ago. The ripped the head off my roo and pulled a black sex link pullet through fence completely

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Oh boy! First of all, I am so sorry for your losses!
To answer your question, YES, the Fox will return as long as there are more chickens! What concerns me, tho is why you would be luring the predator IN the run??? Is there a way to set up a trap OUTside of the run? Your remaining chickens are bait themselves and will be in imminent danger unless the run and coop are secure and predator proof.
Good luck with catching and destroying whatever it is that killed your hens! Keep us posted!

 

[EasterEggerEthan]

Sounds like a raccoon if you don't have 1" or smaller HC covering the entire structure. They will come back every day. The entire raccoon Facebook community knows dinner is at your house.

This doorway is the only spot that ISNT covered. Older picture of our coop but nothing’s changed. The bottom is all HC, and the top is screen. The screen hasn’t been broken anywhere, the only way anything could’ve gotten in is through that back door. It has two hook and eyes, and the bottom one was left undone. I didn’t think raccoons were slim enough to fit through the gap?

 

[EasterEggerEthan]

Oh boy! First of all, I am so sorry for your losses!
To answer your question, YES, the Fox will return as long as there are more chickens! What concerns me, tho is why you would be luring the predator IN the run??? Is there a way to set up a trap OUTside of the run? Your remaining chickens are bait themselves and will be in imminent danger unless the run and coop are secure and predator proof.
Good luck with catching and destroying whatever it is that killed your hens! Keep us posted!

I should’ve mentioned it in the post, oops!
I basically went into meltdown mode and screwed the door that separates the roosts from the run shut. I didn’t want it to be suspicious if I started leaving food outside of where it was hunting.
I probably also thought that the run would make it harder for whatever to escape and buy me more time to catch a glimpse. I kind of lost it and just started thinking of what to do to make sure the other three didn’t end up gone too and probably forgot to cross that T.

 

[MARSMOM]

This doorway is the only spot that ISNT covered. Older picture of our coop but nothing’s changed. The bottom is all HC, and the top is screen. The screen hasn’t been broken anywhere, the only way anything could’ve gotten in is through that back door. It has two hook and eyes, and the bottom one was left undone. I didn’t think raccoons were slim enough to fit through the gap?

Is that gap above the door covered with HC? The coon could have grabbed the first one through the gap, and then scaled the door to grab the other one.

 

[EasterEggerEthan]

Is that gap above the door covered with HC? The coon could have grabbed the first one through the gap, and the scaled the door to grab the other one.

The gap actually is not covered- I think i recall there being something wrong when we tried during building. First thing tomorrow I believe thats going to be on my to-do list.

They were killed on separate days, and one wasn’t taken. Could the raccoon have climbed up and over WITH the chicken?!

 

[MARSMOM]

The gap actually is not covered- I think i recall there being something wrong when we tried during building. First thing tomorrow I believe thats going to be on my to-do list.

They were killed on separate days, and one wasn’t taken. Could the raccoon have climbed up and over WITH the chicken?!

Yes they can! Raccoons are the worst. They have little devil hands. I let my dogs stay out really late after what is now referred to as "Murder Night". They all came back covered in dried blood and little scratches on their noses. I believe they played tug a war with that raccoon.

Funny thing, they are super protective of the chickens.

 

[MARSMOM]

I had one hen disappear completely the day before Murder Night, but I assumed it was a rapture. It was daytime and we had left them outside to forage alone.

Murder night it grabbed one hen and pulled the head off my big Roo.