I hate the situation you are in but love the challenge. Remember, like Sherlock Holmes said, "Remove the impossible and everything else, no matter how unlikely, is possible". I doubt it is a weasel, rat or mink because they will eat at the kill site since they could not physically move a dead chicken more than roll it over. This sounds like a climber since it can get a hen off the roost maybe a bobcat, coon, opposum, fox or martin size animal, I don't know if a skunk can climb well enough to get to a bird as they tend to be more of a digger.
Try this.....Drag a old sheet of plywood and lay it near where the killer leaves the feathers, sprinkle it with flour or corn starch and set a bait in the middle. (something a coon,weasel,fox,etc would at least investigate) If they will step on the plywood, they will leave prints and you will at least know what you are up against. Also rake the area around the coop if it's dirt or dusty as thie will show direction of travel as well as giving you more tracks
Another thing to do is physically push, pull and pry on every vent, sofit, board edge, plywood corner, wire panel, and tacked on board . Also sweep the floor clear and check for a hole, loose board or soft spot. The critter may have found a loose spot that they can push thru but it slips back into place and a visual inspection does not identify it especially a spot that chicken feathers are normally at. This critter is physically removing a bird from the coop so there should be signs so it's logical that loose feathers will be left when it leaves thru it access point. Start with the corner where the feathers keep appearing and radiate from there, predators are lazy and unlikely to travel any further than needed before eating.
Lock and secure the pop door and seal the skirting around the building, maybe this critter is living under the building. Is there anyway you can raise the building so a critter is not comfortable in the dark spot you created under it? Consider pulling off the plywood skirting and covering the area with just chicken wire since all you want is for the chickens to stay out and this would allow you to see under the coop. Do you have a dog that can sleep in the coop at night while the birds are roosting and up off the floor? Can you borrow a critter cam?
Hopefully one of these ideas will help identify the critter and it's access point so you can sleep better at night. Good hunting
Try this.....Drag a old sheet of plywood and lay it near where the killer leaves the feathers, sprinkle it with flour or corn starch and set a bait in the middle. (something a coon,weasel,fox,etc would at least investigate) If they will step on the plywood, they will leave prints and you will at least know what you are up against. Also rake the area around the coop if it's dirt or dusty as thie will show direction of travel as well as giving you more tracks
Another thing to do is physically push, pull and pry on every vent, sofit, board edge, plywood corner, wire panel, and tacked on board . Also sweep the floor clear and check for a hole, loose board or soft spot. The critter may have found a loose spot that they can push thru but it slips back into place and a visual inspection does not identify it especially a spot that chicken feathers are normally at. This critter is physically removing a bird from the coop so there should be signs so it's logical that loose feathers will be left when it leaves thru it access point. Start with the corner where the feathers keep appearing and radiate from there, predators are lazy and unlikely to travel any further than needed before eating.
Lock and secure the pop door and seal the skirting around the building, maybe this critter is living under the building. Is there anyway you can raise the building so a critter is not comfortable in the dark spot you created under it? Consider pulling off the plywood skirting and covering the area with just chicken wire since all you want is for the chickens to stay out and this would allow you to see under the coop. Do you have a dog that can sleep in the coop at night while the birds are roosting and up off the floor? Can you borrow a critter cam?
Hopefully one of these ideas will help identify the critter and it's access point so you can sleep better at night. Good hunting
