Time to play name that preditor...

[luvchicks8]

What preditor would in the day time grab a full size bird, drag her under the coop and leave the body in tack?

RIP Angel

I WILL get your killer. Camera is out now birds are in but I have a feeling it WILL be back and it WILL regret it!!!

 

[MysticScorpio82]

My first thought is a dog. Coyote or fox would eat the bird, whereas a dog is more apt to "play" with it until it's dead. Either wya I am sorry for your loss!

 

[allieloveschickens]

sounds like a dog to me too

 

[chickencrazyinHT]

I think a dog would do that too!

 

[petchickenlover]

I agree, dog... I used to have a dog that would, if he got the chance, take the bird and pluck it. he wouldn't hurt it,though. he just wanted to play

 

[obaan1]

I, too, cast my "dog" vote.

 

[fishman65]

Wow. That is a heartbreaker. By just killing it and not eating it I would say DOG. But by leaving it under a coop to come back later and enjoy his meal it might be a cat. Any chance the chicken got under the coop by itself before it died. It just don't make sense that a dog would hide its kill. HHmmmmm would be interested in game cam pics. Good luck.

 

[luvchicks8]

How would the dog drag her all the way onder my coop? Her body was left in the middle under the coop? There is snow banked up all around the edges of the coop??? Here is a picture it has about a 6 inch clearing.
Hard to tell but it is up on 2 cinder blocks on each side. The bird was left in the center under the coop?

 

[aprophet]

if interrupted in what it was doing it could be almost anything cat's , coon or grey fox a red fox is slightly larger framed it would have a hard time squeezing into the sized holes you have described. Cat's "cache " their food more then the rest a coon does not " cache" the food he just returns to eat until all is gone the foxes are pretty much the same in habit as the coon. I have tried to catch grey fox that was JUST walking through a hole 6 " large with out touching either side for a coupla nights in a row after a coupla days went by the fox left a few hairs on the hole when I tightened up the size of the trap to 4 1/2" - 5" I caught the animal, they can go through some tiny places. If you have never seen a coon squeeze through a 4-6 " hole it is unbelievable that they can to me.

 

[luvchicks8]

Ok so have a heart trap for coon/fox size is set and the "preditor" better not come around when I am home!!! Thanks everyone I wanted to put the trap out wondering what size to go with incase I am not home when it returns.