One chicken missing and the other three dead, which predator?

[Zarzoor]

So yesterday we let the chickens (we have 4 and they’re all full grown and pretty big) out of their run to free-range at around 6am (as we’ve been doing for a few months now) All of them were fine, but then a while later we went to check on them (at around 8am) and we found their feathers scattered, one missing, but the rest were at different places in the yard, dead but without any injuries that we could see. Granted, we didn’t look too closely, but we couldn’t see any blood or anything. Any idea what could have caused the attack? We want to figure out before we get new ones, so we know how to avoid another attack.

 

[Zarzoor]

We live in Texas btw
We’ve seen an opossum hanging around the area, but from my research, it’s unlikely that’s what caused the attack. I could be wrong though.

 

[50-45-1]

Domestic dog?

 

[R.J.]

Domestic dog?

Sounds like a dog. Dogs will play with em hence the body’s and feathers all over the place. And dogs will kill for sport that’s why they weren’t eaten. An actual predator, varmint will have eaten some part of the chicken

 

[Loving my girls]

Fox ?
Do you have foxes in Texas ?

 

[user651618]

Sounds like a dog to me. Could be a fox if you walked out and spooked it/them into dropping the bodies and hauling.

 

[lithiachick]

Fox is my guess. They kill a bunch at once and come back for the kills. Probably why one was missing. I lost a few to them. Seemed to me, it happened around the time of year when they are raising their young.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Really sorry for your loss but glad you joined, Welcome to BYC! My free range process is that I don't let them out that early. Sunset and Sunrise is a bit more risky than mid-day. I'm not saying that you can avoid all risk associated with free ranging, but you can do things that reduce risk like waiting until a bit later to let them out. Mine go out sometime between 12 and 2 and then I'm out with them at sunset to make sure they get into the coop safely for lock up. I've only lost 1 in 20years. And to this day I don't know what it was. It's not possible to trap or kill every single predator out there so even though I'd like to know what it was, it's only my curiosity. I did this same thing and started a thread and most everyone said dog. Yet it for sure was not a dog. Possibly Owl, Hawk, Racoon or Fox. I have seen a Racoon on my trail cam at night but it stopped trying when it just couldn't get into my coop. If you have a dog for daytime protection that will really help. I hope you do start a new flock, good luck!!

 

[McChooky]

So yesterday we let the chickens (we have 4 and they’re all full grown and pretty big) out of their run to free-range at around 6am (as we’ve been doing for a few months now) All of them were fine, but then a while later we went to check on them (at around 8am) and we found their feathers scattered, one missing, but the rest were at different places in the yard, dead but without any injuries that we could see. Granted, we didn’t look too closely, but we couldn’t see any blood or anything. Any idea what could have caused the attack? We want to figure out before we get new ones, so we know how to avoid another attack.

If you or your neighbor had a dog loose it'd be my #1 suspect but a fox could have done it too. Dogs are known for killing chickens and leaving them lay but you have one missing so it may have been a fox. Sorry for your loss!

 

[McChooky]

Edit: I never let my chickens out early because predators that are tired and hungry will attack your chickens soon as you let them out and go inside