I lost 9 chickens last night. Whatever did this knocked down an chicken wire wall I have found 4 piles of feathers not a bone skin foot nothing left 2 piles in close proximity to each other in a neighbors yard, 1 about 20 feet away from those then another pile 50 feet from that one. nothing left but feathers. I have found 1 chicken unhurt under a neighbors tree. My neighbor heard all of the commotion around 3 oclock in the morning. She said to her it looked like a large cat. Would a cat eat all of that? Im just sick
Coon perhaps, maybe fox or coyote?, leaning to coyote by the way it made entry and ate whole birds. Sorry for the losses.....
I'm truly sorry for your loss. It could also be a raccoon. Unfortunatly, chicken wire is worthless and is very easy for predators to break through.
Quote:I too am sorry for your loss. Chicken wire only keeps chickens in. I use it on my run, but I secure my girls in their coop nightly.
Thanks everyone I am in the middle of turning the shed into a large coop. This will be done by tomorrow night. I have found some where to buy more Australorps from to replace the ones I lost. I understand they are only doing what comes naturally but I still feel violated. I hope they went to feed some baby foxes or something but the snack wagon is closed now!!!! And I have been taught a lesson
I am so very sorry. Before we got out Mastiff x Yellow Lab dog we had a Bob Cat that took quite a few birds. I know that Bob Cats are strong. They can climb over a 6' fence with a full grown hen in it's mouth. Whatever caused this, I hope you can eliminate it soon.
Given that you're in PA and since the birds were gone--probably eaten and/or carried off--I'd guess a coyote, fox or bobcat. All are capable of going through a fence and are the type of predators that are in the business of killing for food. While coons will go through chicken wire like it isn't there they usually don't carry the whole prey off and dogs would just kill and leave most of it.
