Two out of 3 dead

[PrincessChicky]

I'm pretty shocked right now.
I live in the suburbs, I didn't think there were predators that could do this. I'm so sad!
Any ideas what could have done it? All that's left are a bunch of feathers.
What can I do for my one remaining hen? Do I get her new friends or not?

 

[iwiw60]

I'm pretty shocked right now.
I live in the suburbs, I didn't think there were predators that could do this. I'm so sad!
Any ideas what could have done it? All that's left are a bunch of feathers.
What can I do for my one remaining hen? Do I get her new friends or not?

So sorry for your losses! If all that's left are feathers and as you stated you live in a subdivision (?), it was most likely a dog. Raccoons generally just reach through and rip their heads off. Have you had any problems with dog(s) roaming around your neighborhood? Without pics of your coop/run setup it is very difficult to give any further advice, except to say if you are using chicken wire on your coop and run that is an open invitation to predators. Why? Chicken wire is totally useless...predators can tear through it like it was butter... and should be replaced with 1/2" hardware cloth only...everywhere.

Can you see where it got in? Are there any tracks?

 

[PrincessChicky]

Thanks, they weren't in their coop. I'm sure they would have been safe there, I just wasn't home last night to lock them up.
I can't imagine how a dog or coyote could have gotten in. We have a combination wood and barbed wire around the yard, with fencing along the bottom of the barbed wire. Can coyotes jump over fences?

 

[iwiw60]

Thanks, they weren't in their coop. I'm sure they would have been safe there, I just wasn't home last night to lock them up.
I can't imagine how a dog or coyote could have gotten in. We have a combination wood and barbed wire around the yard, with fencing along the bottom of the barbed wire. Can coyotes jump over fences?

Coyotes most certainly can and will. I take it then that you allow your flock to "free-range" ? As you get to know me here on the forums you will know me as the "anti-free-range" crazy chicken lady here!

I don't believe in free-ranging...why? Because of what happened to you and many many others who have chickens. I've put too much blood, sweat and tears into building my coop and run and it's just not worth it to me to allow my birds to free-range because "it's the thing to do...let them be free!" attitude. I have build my coop and run like Ft. Knox...there ain't nothin' getting in to kill by girls. My coop is 5' x 8' with an attached chicken run which is 9' x 16'...plenty of room for my 4 Black Australorp ladies. (BTW, one of them just started laying this week...yay!)

Again, I'm so very sorry you had to experience this devastation...lesson learned, eh? Now that you are down to just one bird and after you've re-thought your setup and have beefed it up, you should consider getting at least one other bird so she has company. Chickens are very social things, and she would most likely just wane away from lonliness.

 

[TinyBirds]

I'm so sorry for your loss. I remember how awful it was the first few times we lost birds to predators. Once the predators (usually raccoons) find your location, they will always come back again and again unfortunately. I think having a dog is probably the best deterrent but we don't have one. We have raccoons that come even at noon (yes mid-day) and get into our covered pens. If you live in the city it's probably a bit easier with less daytime attacks, but getting them in the coop right at dark will be important now that one attack has occurred.