Three chicks lost in early evening before sunset

[HaplessRunner]

I had build a PVC framed chicken tractor with a door. The netting was poly deer netting which provided a wonderful play and foraging area for my 3-6 week old chicks. I stepped away for dinner and the deed was done.

As noted in the title, this was about an hour before sunset next to some spruce trees on top of a hill that used to be a hay field. Two chicks were found in one corner and the other in another corner. They were inside the netting and there was no evidence that something got inside. The condition of the bodies was similar, bloodied around the neck. One chick had the skin of its head pulled off.

We have never observed raccoons up here and a stream & pond is ~600-800 feet away. The closest woods are 200 feet away. We have foxes and an occasional oposum. Coyotes are reported in the area but I have never seen. Feral cats are also in the area.

Any thoughts on what got my chicks?

 

[ChickenRaiser95]

Racoons will clean the prey so hearing one of their heads skin pulled off leads to a racoon. try putting the coop next to the house or if you havee outside dogs next to them.

 

[blythspirit]

So sorry this happened to your chicks. I put security motion lights next to my chicken coop with an alert that goes on in my bedroom on my nightstand..and if critter moves out there gets blasted with five lights..this is also set up to make the entire property light up (I have security lights on every part of my property) maybe that would help?

 

[JerseyHen]

Owl or hawk?