What ate my chickens??

[Mary's Backyard Chickens]

Help! I recently had 3 chickens killed and eaten. When I went outside, I saw only one of them laying there. It had no head, no feathers, no meat. All it had was rib bones and chicken legs laying there and a little blood. But, I want to know what type of animal most likely did that. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of what I saw, I didn't know I would be posting it on BackYard Chickens. It's very hard to tell what done it, because we have foxes, raccoons, weasels, possums, and even some coyotes in our area. It most likely wasn't a weasel or mink, because this occurred during the night. I am thinking it might have been a coyote, possum or raccoon. I still want to know what it probably was. The funny thing is, we didn't hear a sound the night before I saw it... It was silent. No clucking or anything. I do know when I went out there that morning, my chicken was featherless and meatless. All of it's feathers were spread out around the coop. Does anyone know what this predator is?

 

[Lazy Farmer]

I put my money on raccoons, fox will caring off it's meal and stash it. coons like to leave their calling card.
sorry for your loss.

 

[K3nzi3]

I second the racoon.But It may have been a coyote, but I think they carry prey off as well if they can.
Sorry about your chicken.

 

[lazy gardener]

Don't discount a coon carrying birds off. I had a coon carry off a large number of birds in a single night. He returned to get the remaining three the following morning. He met an untimely end due to lead poisoning.

One critter that has not been suggested is possum. I vote possum or coon.

 

[Mary's Backyard Chickens]

Whatever it was didn't carry off chickens. It ate the meat and left the bones and chicken feet laying there.

 

[RollTideChicken]

Coons will kill chickens for sport and removing the heads is an M.O. of theirs.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ow-to-protect-your-chickens-from-coons.47709/

 

[Mary's Backyard Chickens]

Idk, because we have a yard dog, and a possum comes around here almost every night looking for a meal. This happened before we got the yard dog. That's why I am debating whether it's a coon or possum.

 

[CntryBoy777]

You stated that there were 3 killed, but only 1 eaten....if this is the case I vote for the coon...a possum will kill to eat not for sport....a coon will kill all that he sees then chose one to eat if hungry. So, if there are 2 that were killed, but not eaten...then I believe it to be a coon....one thing is for sure, it will return. Sorry for your losses and hope ya get the sucker.

 

[Mary's Backyard Chickens]

No, I said that there were 3 killed and eaten. The rest had no bones laying around, but they were gone.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

All chicken predators with a set of teeth tear and chew their victims. Only Raptors like hawks and owls leave the bones, feet, and sometimes the innards behind. Think of toothed chicken predators gnawing at the skeleton until there is nothing left of your chickens or ducks. Toothed predators will even finish off the feet and toes of your chickens. Raptors are more picky eaters.