What takes the whole chicken at night?

[Justicedog]

My chicken jail sentence became a death penalty. Last night I put a chicken who was causing problems with others in the coop - going after the 18 weekers, then when another old trouble maker was moved from the youngster’s side of the roost this one fought her. I put this one in chicken jail and the jail sentence turned out to be a death penalty. I knew it wasn’t secure but I’d not had predator problems in the yard (suburban).

What can dig and move a cheap coop and take away a chicken with no blood or feathers left behind?

 

[GodLovesU]

Are there any nearby footprints?

 

[Justicedog]

It’s been raining. This is the only possible print. I’m not even sure. There was a lot of dirt displacement.

 

[GodLovesU]

My brother thinks that it’s a raccoon print.

 

[Justicedog]

Correction. Some of the chicken must have been left as one of the young chickens was running around with some innerds. I got those away, but it seems there's more as she was running around with more. I went and raked the area a bit and there are some feathers, but I think it was partly buried/covered with the dirt.

 

[GodLovesU]

Now he says fox

 

[mcdze]

could have been a few things, itl be back .. main problem around here is racoons, they will move lots of dirt, climb anything, and search for weak spots in a structure, theyre good at it, its what they do for a living ... but whatever it is coon, fox, bobcat, etc, the question is how do you get it .. doesnt ultimately matter what it is, it eats chickens lol, and your strategy will be the same .. knowing what it is isnt a factor in solving the problem, if its a night predator ... you have 4 options or a combo of them - poison, trap, reinforce your structures, or shoot them with a nightvision equiped weapon .. takes alot of strategy and 100% focus to be effective with a seasoned predator thats been honing its skills for several years .. everytime its been 'missed' its gotten that much better, so your plan has to work the first time lol, no room for mistakes .. set it up, and take it out, heheh