Whole flock killed

[Howard E]

Mink, unless chickens really small, then weasel possible. Fox / Coyote can clear fences and will take at least some carcasses out and I doubt they would cache carcass on sight. Raccoon can do mass kills but I have not seen them bury carcass. Raccoons climb fences well and do maul head and neck of struggling victims. The mink and weasels can do make mass kills (surplus killing) and the former at least will bury some prey items. Opossums not likely to do a mass kill unless trapped in a barrel with a bunch of chickens.

Raptors not going to bury carcass.

X2......Mink......and for the exact same reasons.

BTW, entire flock of how many? A flock of 2 is different than a flock of 20.

 

[Folly's place]

I'm so sorry!
All good comments above from folks with bitter experiences themselves. I agree about fox or weasel, and it's very sad.
The time we had a fox kill ten hens one afternoon, he stashed some, left some where they fell, and took one off. He was seen by a workman next door, who just watched the whole thing.
That fox was ill, and was killed by a neighbor the following week.
Your predator has been scouting your coop out for a while, and was ready for this chance to act.
Mary

 

[hayley3]

Me and my husband were thinking about doing that with our next flock. We had a motion sensors light near the coop but I guess that didn't scare the animal. I'm just surprised we didn't hear anything. We have dogs and they wake up and bark at every little noise.

I have a Delta brand baby monitor and they are inexpensive and plentiful on Ebay and also on Amazon and although the reviews are not that great, they are perfect for chicken coops.
One night we heard a ruckus and ran out there, the raccoon had our oldest chicken in its mouth, he let her go when we got there. we ushered them all out and ushered out the raccoon and although that hen had gashes, she is still alive to tell the tale.

 

[sierranickole]

X2......Mink......and for the exact same reasons.

BTW, entire flock of how many? A flock of 2 is different than a flock of 20.

Had 5 chickens in my flock

 

[sierranickole]

Update: I was cleaning up some piles of leaves around the yard and found the missing head buried in a pile the pile was quite a distance away from where I found her body.