What predator am I dealing with?

[oodle]

Twice now I’ve lost a chicken to a myster predator. This is how it goes: I hear a chicken commotion- my flock is kind of making distressed and attention-seeking noises. I go out to check on them and one of them is missing. I look around the whole entire yard and no feathers, no blood, no signs at all. The chicken just disappeared without a trace. I live in Maine, so we deal with hawks, turkey vultures, foxes, etc. Perhaps it’s a hawk with a very clean kill? Does anyone have any idea what this predator could be? And how can I stop it from happening again?

 

[Lemon-Drop]

Are they not in a fenced run? To stop it, I'd make sure to keep them in a run/watch them while out. I would think a hawk, possibly. But it's hard to know as many predators take them without a trace.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I live in hawk territory...I have lost lots of hens to hawks. Mine are Coopers and Red Tail. They are not big enough to haul away a full grown hen. They hit the bird, then eat their fill at the kill site leaving most of the carcass. The only time they took a bird in whole and left was a 6 week old chick. So it won't be your smaller hawks.

A Great Horned Owl can easily carry off a hen, but they typically hunt at night, though can during the day in winter.

A turkey hawk will hunt in the day and carry off.

Then of course there are coyotes and possibly a rogue dog.

Sorry for your losses. I know how frustrating they are.

My thoughts.
LofMc