Welcomed home to dead chickens

[skunknchatter]

I came home from vacation to 2 freshly killed chickens in my yard. Heads missing on both, one was more torn up than the other and there were feathers everywhere. The other was missing it's head, neck skinned and breasts exposed. Seems like it was snuck up on cuz there were no feathers out of place. I'm so ticked! I've had chickens here for 5 years with no problems. However, the woman next door has 30ish feral cats and she just dumps bags of cat food out on a broke down truck bed and so we have huge raccoons around. They've left my chickens alone until now. Turns out her family said she could only feed her indoor cats now. So I have HUGE hungry raccoons looking for a meal. They seem to think my coop is KFC!!! I'm putting one out in a wire kennel tonight and sitting on the porch with my .22 to see if anyone shows up. Man this makes me mad. Oh and a 3rd chicken is MIA but I figure I'll never see a feather of that one again either.

 

[zazouse]

Sorry for your

sounds like dogs did this.
I read this all the time
I guess anyone with neighbors close by needs to keep their birds penned cause so many tragidies happen when they are not.

I live out away from folks, my birds have never seen my neighbors and i can let them roam but i also have 6 dogs watching and nothing gets their birds.

 

[Heat]

Oh no! that is never a fun way to come home

Hopefully you will be able to catch whatever is hunting your chickens... whether it is dogs or coons. Sounds like coons... they are notorious for just killing the chickens and leaving the majority behind. It might be helpful to get some traps?

Hopefully you nip this problem in the butt before more damage happens!!

 

[skunknchatter]

The three chickens that got killed are my 3 that "fly the coop" once in a while. In 5 years these are the only 3 I've ever had that fly out. Hubby is working on a top design. I wouldn't have been dogs. No way for a dog to get into my yard. High dog proof fence all the way around. I believe good fences make good neighbors

We have huge raccoons around here due to all the cat food they've eaten over the last decade. I hear them fighting all the time in the trees on the neighbors property. All that chattering and yelling in the middle of the night!!! I'll update if I manage to catch the chicken killer.

Oh found 3rd bird. It was up underneath my wild rose bushes missing it's head and not a single feather disturbed. Chicken assassin for sure.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

It sounds like a hawk attack, IMO. Especially the way you described them looking like they'd been snuck up on. The last chicken I lost to a hawk was missing its head, had the neck ripped open and breast exposed. I would think the coons wouldn't have stopped with the birds that hopped the fence when you've got more hanging out inside a run they could easily climb over. Good luck!

 

[leadwolf1]

I agree...

It sounds like a hawk attack, IMO. Especially the way you described them looking like they'd been snuck up on. The last chicken I lost to a hawk was missing its head, had the neck ripped open and breast exposed. I would think the coons wouldn't have stopped with the birds that hopped the fence when you've got more hanging out inside a run they could easily climb over. Good luck!

 

[Juls58]

Sounds like a coon. The telltale sign is that coons always remove the head of whatever they kill. If you don't want to sit up all night you could try something that worked for us. Install a motion detector light outside of your coop but don't put in any lightbulbs. Instead purchase a female end plug adapter and screw that into the detector. Run an extension cord from the detector into your bedroom and plug the other end into a radio - turned up loud. Instant predator alarm clock! Has worked for us on a number of occasions.

 

[Heat]

Sounds like a coon. The telltale sign is that coons always remove the head of whatever they kill. If you don't want to sit up all night you could try something that worked for us. Install a motion detector light outside of your coop but don't put in any lightbulbs. Instead purchase a female end plug adapter and screw that into the detector. Run an extension cord from the detector into your bedroom and plug the other end into a radio - turned up loud. Instant predator alarm clock! Has worked for us on a number of occasions.

THAT is a brilliant idea!

 

[Pullet Surprise]

Sounds like the coons are missing their free meals from nextdoor. Had a fellow near here that used to leave food out for a coon, it was a bribe of sorts. if he didn't the coon would do naughty things. The last time he forgot the free meal the smart monster unscrewed every single light fixture around his swimming pool and deftly removed every light bulb and laid them by the fixtures. True story, he caught it in the act. Not a good idea to ever have food for them to get into and depend on. It's going to make it hard on you now. So sorry for your losses! Trap/dispatch time.

 

[Ole rooster]

Sounds to me like you kinda knew it was going to happen. Who was taking care of the chickens while you were relaxing? Surely someone was in charge, no?