Well it finally happened to me too

[janjan1]

After about a week or so of missing eggs, and one of my broodie hens got her tail end really chewed, I finally lost a young pullet. She was about 8 weeks old, a EE cross. Nice and fat. Came into the barn and looked where they roost at night. Didn't see her along with her pals. Started looking around and finally found what was left of her. The only thing left was one half of a leg that was attached to her back bone and neck with her head intact. All other was eaten. All the meat was gone, didn't even see that much blood around where I found the body. I'm thinking a coon. I'm setting a have a heart trap tonight. So I should have something in the trap in the morning.
Jan

 

[ozark hen]

Are they locked up in a secure area for the night? If allowed to roost anywhere they want to in a barn then a predator could get them. I am not saying they are doing that just wondering from what you posted? I had some guineas who wouldn't go inside the coop for the night and roosted in the trees and one by one they disappeared from owls getting them in the night. Now they all go into the coop at night. I wish I had trained them to go into a different pen though as they drive me nuts trying to be sure everyone goes inside for the night.

 

[brookwoodpat]

Both of my campine hens refuse to go in the coop at night. I've been pulling them out of a cedar tree (grabbing the tip of the branch and pulling it down to reach them) and putting them in a coop every night for year.

My sympathies on your loss. I just lost a chickenf or the first time too (to a fox, the chicken somehow got out of my fenced yard) and it has really upset me.

 

[bayside chick]

Sorry to hear something got one of your chicks

...I doubt it was a coon though , as they seem to always eat just the head , and not the body.

Sounds more like an opposum.

 

[Tweeza]

Quote:
I get mine to go into the run of their coop by tossing in scratch. I've never had any problems getting them to go in with bribery. Then they go into the coop at dark and I close the pop door. It works for us.

 

[Ridgerunner]

From what you said, maybe a possum. This site may help.

http://osuextra.okstate.edu/pdfs/F-8204web.pdf

Good luck.

 

[vnploveschickens]

Hi Jan,
I am sorry about the loss of your pullet. It's always so painful when a wild animal gets one of your loved ones.
Find a way to lock up the rest of your loved ones to keep them safe. Let us know what you catch. Take care of yourself too.

 

[jaredslilcluckers]

I hope you catch the the wild animal who got the pullet.