What kind of predator leaves no trace of chicken?

[math ace]

We had a chicken hawk grab one of ours!

Just flew down and snatched it and flew off.

A HAWK will take your chicken and leave NO TRACE...

If it takes one, it will return for another.

 

[LestersFlat]

From talking to neighbors, it was either a fox or a hawk/eagle. This was a large hen. I think I can accept the fact that she is gone, and I'd rather not think about how. I just hope it was quick.

 

[Missingchickenlady]

It varies with raptors: sometimes they sit and pluck, sometime gone with not so much as a feather left behind. We lost six in a week, eventually traced to a buzzard's (buteo buteo, the European type) nest about a mile away. before finding feathers I seriously reckoned on human.

We just had 2 six week old chickens go missing from our wire enclosed coop. No trace of feathers or varmit. Thinking may be a human predator

 

[Blueeyesliz]

Just yesterday, my friendliest girl disappeared without a trace. When I went to close up the coop at night, she wasn't there. It was too dark to do much of a search, even with a good flashlight, and I couldn't find her anywhere. This morning she is still gone, and even after a fairly extensive daylight search, no Red Sweetie.

Has anyone ever had a chicken just vanish? I thought that if a predator got her, that I would see some evidence of that. We have heard many stories of coyotes, bobcats, mink, weasels, fishers(?), but all seem to leave feathers or sometimes the whole chicken behind. The only thing I can think of is a hawk or an eagle swooping down to steal her away.

Just curious if anyone has any experience with this. There was not even a feather to be found. Should I give up hope that she will ever come back?

Bird hawk or eagle! My duck is gone without a trace and have seen them do just that last year oddly one my chickens I notice her wing up today pecking a hole under there will
Await till dark take her in the house to check this out since they free roam do yours? So sad to hear but I assume you got a bird hawk and it will be back in a week to claim more

 

[cmom]

We just had 2 six week old chickens go missing from our wire enclosed coop. No trace of feathers or varmit. Thinking may be a human predator

Bird hawk or eagle! My duck is gone without a trace and have seen them do just that last year oddly one my chickens I notice her wing up today pecking a hole under there will
Await till dark take her in the house to check this out since they free roam do yours? So sad to hear but I assume you got a bird hawk and it will be back in a week to claim more

It's nice to see an older thread revived. The information is still pertinent. So sorry for you losses. If you have a game camera put it us and you may discover who the culprit is. It could be a two legged or possibly a four legged.
Remember, when you free range it is a risk you take and you will loose a bird/birds sooner or later. Some people go for several years with no losses but eventually will have one. Lessons learned the hard way. Good luck...

 

[Missingchickenlady]

It's nice to see an older thread revived. The information is still pertinent. So sorry for you losses. If you have a game camera put it us and you may discover who the culprit is. It could be a two legged or possibly a four legged.
Remember, when you free range it is a risk you take and you will loose a bird/birds sooner or later. Some people go for several years with no losses but eventually will have one. Lessons learned the hard way. Good luck...

The coop is enclosed with 2 x 4 wire. Did see big bird poop on chicken house but no way for it to get in coop

 

[Mamat4ever]

4 adult chickens and an adult duck all in 1 night feathers everywhere. 1 chicken left dead in cage hole in chickenwire big enough for any of the ground preditors. Dead chicken had skin n festuers tore off leg but meat looked untouched. Any ideas?

 

[McChooky]

4 adult chickens and an adult duck all in 1 night feathers everywhere. 1 chicken left dead in cage hole in chickenwire big enough for any of the ground preditors. Dead chicken had skin n festuers tore off leg but meat looked untouched. Any ideas?

Dogs kill for sport but don't eat them. Does anyone you know have a new dog? Coons tear limbs off and/or the head and make a mess. Weasels can squeeze thru 1" hole . Known to kill everything and not eat any of them (Usually kill with a bite to the neck) Possums don't break in, kill everything and eat nothing. (They'll eat part of it) Foxes ,bob cats and coyotes carry one or more off to eat. Hardware cloth over all openings and buried around the sides will eliminate your problem.Sorry!

 

[Kingston Acres]

Yes, a fox took my sweet

Just yesterday, my friendliest girl disappeared without a trace. When I went to close up the coop at night, she wasn't there. It was too dark to do much of a search, even with a good flashlight, and I couldn't find her anywhere. This morning she is still gone, and even after a fairly extensive daylight search, no Red Sweetie.

Has anyone ever had a chicken just vanish? I thought that if a predator got her, that I would see some evidence of that. We have heard many stories of coyotes, bobcats, mink, weasels, fishers(?), but all seem to leave feathers or sometimes the whole chicken behind. The only thing I can think of is a hawk or an eagle swooping down to steal her away.

Just curious if anyone has any experience with this. There was not even a feather to be found. Should I give up hope that she will ever come back?

Yes, a fox took my sweet little Leopard. No feathers anywhere. But we saw the whole thing when we looked at our cameras. We should have thought to look at those earlier, but we searched for 3 days. No feathers, nothing.