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

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So, as it turns out from my own bare bones research, coyotes kind of, sort of, sometimes but not always, operate from within a pack.

Personally I prefer a band, pod or congress of coyotes to a pack, but I'm pretty okay referring to those midnight howling familial groups of Canis latrans as puppy packs. It's cute and I'm not sure how else to describe it.

But I did comment several pages back that I've only ever seen coyotes alone, aside from a twosome that streaked across my property lightening fast and disappeared down near the creek. They do tend to travel solo while hunting, but for reasons I haven't explored but did read about here and elsewhere, they'll herd together and function as a pack, too.

I often refer to my husband as a Sasquatch, and when I'm mad at him I tell him to go join a Sasquatch pack. I think he's getting ready to do that because I caught him watching a Big Foot documentary on Netflix recently. There isn't any proof Sasquatches travel in packs, but apparently they do like apples.

Anyway, good discussion, folks!
 
Security is one of those things that you can never really have, every year i make improvements and keep trying. about three years ago I bought 50 Australorp, I though they where safe. I went to the barn and checked ever night at 2 am, set the alarm and everything. Then one night i went to check and a raccoon was having chick mac nuggets. With a metal trash can top and a pitchfork i fought off a 40-45 lbs. raccoon.
I lost 30 chicks that night. I also, after a lot of reading learned that raccoons can unwind chicken wire. I replaced the wire with 1*2 welded wire. I also have my brooders hanging from the rafters in the barn.
I also suggest, if you are going to free-range to buy a type that is good at living out doors, and fending on there own.
Hanging brooders, now that's clever!!
 
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Very sorry to hear about your flock, the scat in the pic is raccoon I know this bc I have one and I also have Chickens :( which is one of Chicken's predators. My Coon is named Cookie I raised her from a week old bc her mother had gotten killed well being I'm a big softy for animals I took her in, I also have 35 lavender Orpingtons that are free ranged.Well Cookie is now 3 yrs old and is back in the wild on my property I know from experience that a raccoon especially a mother raccoon stays in packs.. her offspring will follow her so I'm guessing it's a family of raccoons. If a 3 yr old grown Coon can eat 4 2 yr old grown hens that weighed 8-10,pds then no question in my mind that is what killed yours.
 
I agree the scat may not be indicative of any predictor at all that was responsible for the chicken carnage. I need more pics to come to a full conclusion. or more questions answered.
 
I agree the scat may not be indicative of any predictor at all that was responsible for the chicken carnage. I need more pics to come to a full conclusion. or more questions answered.


I was wondering this earlier. Also it was previously mentioned that there is corn in the scat. The scat is indicative of whatever has been visiting your chicken feeder area and sneaking an easy meal of scratch, but may actually be unrelated to the death/disappearance of the birds. Hmm...
 
I suppose at this point after rereading the testimony and reexamining the evidence. the Preditor responsible for the crime must meet the following.
1. can pack together to eat 30 chickens.
2. leave scat filled with corn. an omnivore.
3. smart enough to get into most containers.
4. nocturnal.
 

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