What could have killed my chickens?

[K_EP-I]

Hi so I’m not new to raising chickens. I’ve “raised” them when I was 5-9 and got some chicks at Tractor Supply Co last spring. I got Orpingtons and Rhode Island Reds. They are all hens. But 2 days ago I went to go let them out of their run to free range and saw I only had 2 of my hens, both the Rhode Islands. I walked further into the coop and in the corner was one of my Orpingtons dead. Only her back feathers had been pulled/plucked off. No blood, no bite marks, no nothing, just back feathers gone and dead. I looked all over for my other Orpington but she is gone without a trace. No blood, no feathers, no nothing one again. Could it have been a person? Our door doesn’t have a lock and there is wood as flooring. Now I live in Delaware so we don’t have large prey or much prey to begin with. We have foxes, opossums, raccoons, and turkey vultures. But we have a roof over our run and coop so they weren’t taken. Anyone ever have something similar happen? My Rhode Islands don’t want to be in the coop anymore which worries me because I don’t know where else they would be safe and warm.

EDIT: I reread what I wrote and I meant the door is closed with a latch but it doesn’t have a lock or anything.

 

[azygous]

Don't assume there's no way in to the coop. Several years ago, someone here was losing a chicken every night. Occasionally the dead and mangled chicken was left inside the coop. The doors were all closed and locked. The chicken keeper was convinced the other chickens were the ones killing. We urged them to install a game cam.

What the camera caught was a raccoon coming into the coop from a crevice in a far rear corner that they weren't even aware of. Somehow, the raccoon was able to compress its body to fit through the very narrow crack. Once they sealed up the crack, no more dead chickens.

 

[50-45-1]

I hope your coop is lockable, as in shut your two remaining birs inside at night.
If not i suggest bringing them inside. Two chickens would be fine in a large dog kennel at night in your closed garage or enclosed porch.
If its racoons (however they dont remove chicken bodies very far) they will kill your remaining two very soon if possible.
Some good tools for chicken owners are:
Game camera
Baby monitor set up
Live traps, small for weasels and medium for racoons.
Most importantly a secure coop for nightime protection. Chickens have no defences and no night vision and are literal "sitting ducks" at night.
Good luck

Sorry you lost your girls!

 

[K_EP-I]

I hope your coop is lockable, as in shut your two remaining birs inside at night.
If not i suggest bringing them inside. Two chickens would be fine in a large dog kennel at night in your closed garage or enclosed porch.
If its racoons (however they dont remove chicken bodies very far) they will kill your remaining two very soon if possible.
Some good tools for chicken owners are:
Game camera
Baby monitor set up
Live traps, small for weasels and medium for racoons.
Most importantly a secure coop for nightime protection. Chickens have no defences and no night vision and are literal "sitting ducks" at night.
Good luck

Sorry you lost your girls!

Thank you and there was no clucking at night. I go to sleep REALLY late (3Am) and my parents woke up at 3 and heard nothing. I looked around the whole street. There was only one bird in my run with no bite marks or eaten at all. Thanks for your advice though! I kept them in the garage for now.

 

[azygous]

Raccoons are a lot like humans. They can work latches and find clever ways to get into a structure. It will be back. Be prepared.

 

[BDutch]

Sorry for you’re loss.

My guess is a predator must have gotten into youre coop. Killed two chickens and left with one chicken.

Look carefully for small openings. Maybe under the construction or under the roof. Or if it could have been a racoon better locks.

 

[K_EP-I]

Sorry that I haven’t replied to anyone. I have been at college this week and come back for the weekends. I am for sure putting my time and energy into fixing up the coop and keeping my girls safe. So far they have stayed in the coop with some quick adjustments and nothing has happened to them. I plan on building a better coop and fixing their run since I really loved raising and caring for my girls. Today hopefully I will fix their run even more.

 

[K_EP-I]

That’s very strange! Maybe there’s a hole somewhere we are a rat or racoon or something is getting in

Yeah. I went to investigate today and fix up their run and look for holes and low and behold they were behind the coop. Somehow the wood curved leaving a opening and a tiny hole near the other end of the run. There was also more feathers behind the run so yeah.

 

[K_EP-I]

I'm sorry for your loss.
Can you please upload a few pictures of your coop and run?

I don’t have new and updated pictures of it. I could upload it tomorrow morning!

 

[Kiki]

I don’t have new and updated pictures of it. I could upload it tomorrow morning!

Great, I can't wait to see.