What's killing my hens?

[BonnieLassie76]

I live in N Central Fl and for past couple days something has killed a single hen each attack. All parts of body intact except the body cavity and entrails are eaten. It only kills one and eats on site. Kills sometime between 3am and dawn. This last time it dug under the coop. It doesn't try to drag it off either.This is our first experience with a predator in the last 2 yrs of having chickens.

 

[Howard E]

Some type of wildcat? Bobcat? Lynx?

If you could put up a trail camera pointed at the entry point, you could know for sure.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I live in N Central Fl and for past couple days something has killed a single hen each attack. All parts of body intact except the body cavity and entrails are eaten. It only kills one and eats on site. Kills sometime between 3am and dawn. This last time it dug under the coop. It doesn't try to drag it off either.This is our first experience with a predator in the last 2 yrs of having chickens.

Opossum or a raccoon.

 

[bobbi-j]

Instead of "What's killing my chickens?" you might want to ask yourself, "How is this thing getting into my coop and how can I prevent it from happening again?" Because whatever it is will keep coming back until it wipes out your flock.

 

[birdmanmax]

I agree with PD-Riverman definitely a opussum from what you've described but they usually won't dig very much, there not very out going.