What killed my 5 chickens in the middle of the day?

[Jmash]

We are missing 5 chickens... three 12 week chicks and two hens (one the mother and then another one). The attack happened around 1pm in broad daylight. We live in an urban area but have lots of predators: hawks, bobcats, coyotes, raccoons and mountain lions.

I found a couple tufts of feathers, but no where near the amount I nominally see when we’ve lost one to a raccoon or had a hawk attack.

what do you think got them? I’m a little stumped by the lack of feathers and the timing. I saw one of the hens on the camera at 12:30pm and noticed they were missing by 2pm.

i heard hawks earlier, but two of the hens missing are big girls (a maran and an Australorp)

thoughts??

 

[Yardmom]

Fox and coyote take whole birds. Unfortunately they will hunt during the day when they know a food source.

 

[Folly's place]

I agree, fox, coyote, or maybe a dog. Or a family of canines of some sort.
I'm so sorry for your losses! Keep your survivors in their safe coop and run until this problem is resolved, or they will be lost too.
Try live traps and game camera or two.
Mary

 

[Jmash]

We’ve set up a camera in there. Their run is fenced but not covered. Clearly, we’re going to need to make some changes to the fencing.
Any tips for keeping coyotes out?

 

[Matejka]

Dog dog dog

 

[sourland]

Canine predator or perhaps a family of bobcats - snatch and run mammalian predator.

 

[hayley3]

We are missing 5 chickens... three 12 week chicks and two hens (one the mother and then another one). The attack happened around 1pm in broad daylight. We live in an urban area but have lots of predators: hawks, bobcats, coyotes, raccoons and mountain lions.

I found a couple tufts of feathers, but no where near the amount I nominally see when we’ve lost one to a raccoon or had a hawk attack.

what do you think got them? I’m a little stumped by the lack of feathers and the timing. I saw one of the hens on the camera at 12:30pm and noticed they were missing by 2pm.

i heard hawks earlier, but two of the hens missing are big girls (a maran and an Australorp)

thoughts??

The blood on the end of the feathers is interesting....so whatever had a forceful bite to draw blood. I don't expect that from a fox. I had one pick up my duck and killed her but there was not a drop of blood anywhere. So I'd say it was a bigger canine or big cat.

 

[RoosterML]

We’ve set up a camera in there. Their run is fenced but not covered. Clearly, we’re going to need to make some changes to the fencing.
Any tips for keeping coyotes out?

Electric fencing

 

[cmom]

So sorry for you losses. My recommendation is electric fencing or electric wires. I have electric wires around my coops and pens, good heavy duty netting covering the pens and concrete under the gates all due to losses from predators in the past. I also have several game cameras on my property. When I first put them up I was surprised at the predators that lurk here especially at night. I got so I could identify some from markings or injuries observed. It appears to me that many predators have routes and routines they follow. I have lost birds during the day but more at night. I haven't lost a bird to a predator in quite a long time. I have been seeing a fox lately. Good luck... A bobcat outside the chick/grow-out coop almost a month ago.

 

[cmom]

Once a predator touches the electric wires and get zapped they don't make another attempt. I think they teach their young to stay away and a bird isn't worth getting zapped for.