What could kill and eat 30 chickens in 1 night and not leave a single body.

[Chullicken]

Whatever it was will return, more than likely several times after the fact. Do you have or can get access to a trail cam? Probably your best bet without an expert trapper/biologist in the house. Appears to be raccoon or coyote. What a tragic event you experienced.

 

[Welshies]

Eh...I'm not claiming to be any sort of animal expert. I'm just going by what I've been taught and experienced. I've spent 40+ years in the bush, 32 of it hunting. The books (and now Google) are helpful tools but sometimes them there pesky animals don't read and do their own thing. I wish you the best, @EggWalrus .

They do have a territory... but not a den site. They'll cache all over their territory and preferred den areas. But they do not have a permanent den.

 

[Welshies]

The reading I'm doing, (and I do not profess that the articles I'm reading are the know all of animal behavior,) state that the Vixen will scout out 2 - 3 likely possibilities in her territory for denning as early as November, and she will prepare her earth or den in December, which is prime breeding season. I wonder how the article I cited earler varies according to lattitude. It would stand to reason that fox breed earlier in the south than they do in the north.

Hm... they den in spring here. March or so. Snow here doesn't melt till May though, and they breed in February.

 

[th_roster]

A Bobcat won't eat thirty of them. That is coyote poo, Coyotes work in a group. They can fit one chicken in there mouth and run to a hiding spot to eat them a pack of 10 coyotes can do it in about 1 hour. They aren't stupid eating machines. Most likely they a close by during the day time watching everyone's comings and goings. I suggest that you read everything you can about the coyote. It sounds like you have a big pack. You will hear them at night barking and howling.Form up a posse of neighbors and kill the female there is only one per pack. Good luck.

 

[th_roster]

https://www.amazon.com/Trapping-American-Furbearers-Hawbaker-paperback/dp/B0031TRYY2. here is a link to a book on how to take care of the problem and make a few bucks to replace the chickens.

 

[EggWalrus]

Not even Luther Vandross in his prime, could have eaten thirty chickens. Col Sanders maybe.... I almost missed (due to all the poop pictures) where you said that you found a few of your birds... Excellent. I would bet you there are alot more out there....
Here is a question... Had they ever been out before? Birds that have never been out, might want to get back home, but they do not know what home looks like from the outside. If they had been out before, you should have seen some stragglers coming in. but if not, they could be anywhere.

They had been foraging since about a month old when they could fly up and down from the coop. They roamed all over the 2 acres in the backyard so they know where home is. They would usually put themselves to bed about 30 mins before dark, except for 1 or 2 rambunctious younguns, but they would go to bed by dark. My neighbor and I walked thru all his 150 birds to see if any more of his were missing and the only ones of mine where the 2 little leghorns with that Swamp Momma that I catch at his place a year ago. She has always stayed over here since catching her, even raised 2 sets of babies, but the Massacre must have shocked her so that she went back over there with the younguns in tow.

 

[Stayc]

I just want to send my condolences for your losses .

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

That seems like an awfully wide turd for a fox. Over an inch wide.

 

[EggWalrus]

I just want to send my condolences for your losses .

Thank you so much. My poor wife is taking it hard, I caught her crying about them again today. She has a tendency to get too attached when they are young. Even though I know they are livestock, there are some that are just so loving and act like puppies that is hard not to develop a love for them.

 

[Stayc]

Thank you so much. My poor wife is taking it hard, I caught her crying about them again today. She has a tendency to get too attached when they are young. Even though I know they are livestock, there are some that are just so loving and act like puppies that is hard not to develop a love for them.

I am the same way. It's the main reason we don't have more livestock. No matter what i will befriend it and love it. I say hi to the neighbors livestock everyday. I do hope she feels better soon