Likely Culprit?

[slejdad]

I am aware that there is no way to know but I am curious if I can reach a likely consensus. Here is the scenario. Our friends recently moved to a city that would not allow them to keep chickens and they gifted us with their coop and a 13-hen flock. We knew it was going to be a week or better before we had time to erect an enclosure around the coop and we were left with the option of free ranging them or locking them into the coop for 10+ days.

In my naivety, I thought keeping them locked up would be cruel and that they would probably be ok. I could not have been more wrong. It did not help that the birds decided to roost outside of the coop at night….

Anyway, all was well for about 3 days and then we got up one morning to find that nine chickens had been “gotten” in the night. There were little piles of feather strewn across the property. On carcass was left behind but the other eight had been carried off or eaten.

We live in SE Virginia on the border of the great dismal swamp and enjoy all of the associated wildlife: black bears, river otters, raccoons, opossums, skunks, hogs, red foxes, bobcats, bats and I am sure others. What do you all think was the most likely predator? Oh, three more were taken a couple night later.

 

[azygous]

You have one chicken remaining out of the original thirteen if my math is correct. That's some speedy learning curve you have there.

Look for scat. Most wild animals leave a little behind as a calling card. Other than finding an identifying pile of turds, it's anyone's guess. You certainly have plenty of species to choose from.

 

[Kristyh119]

I’ve had a raccoon kill 3 in one night. There were no carcasses left behind only feathers. Luckily I caught it the next night. I don’t think a raccoon could possibly take that many. I have had dogs come and decimate half my flock. one injured chicken was left a behind, 6 were chased off never to be seen again, and two were killed. the dogs took the bodies. They also really tore up the ground chasing the girls and left paw prints all over. That day only 10 were smart enough to jump in a tree or the coop. Dogs could be the culprit if It happened early morning after the chickens were done roosting. Or maybe a fox or bob cat had hungry babies and that’s why so Many were taken. I believe it wasn’t an owl, a bear, or raccoon with only one body left behind.

 

[kellyhubb]

You might benefit from using the poultry predator identifier tool - http://www.poultrydvm.com/predator-identifier.php as it could have been many different animals...