What killed my Silkie??

[Ebz5003]

Got a pic of this hole?
Was the bird killed in the coop or the run?

Killed in the run, on the ramp heading up to the coop. I keep the run shut, but coop open at night. Will close it at night from now on. This hole is like 4in wide when I open it with my hand

 

[Ebz5003]

Chicken wire can stretch and break when a predator chews the wires

I don't use chicken wire.

 

[Ebz5003]

Unless the doors have a snug fit and don't leave a big gap when pulled coons will get in.You need carabiners to secure your doors or a lock too. Coons are strong enough to pull loose boards off.I covered one side with metal so coons wouldn't try to pull the boards off

That's nuts. I guess I will need to screw down my 2x4 boards I wedged in the edges

 

[aart]

Killed in the run, on the ramp heading up to the coop. I keep the run shut, but coop open at night. Will close it at night from now on. This hole is like 4in wide when I open it with my hand

So not really a hole but a gap from not securing the 2 pieces of overlapping HC.
Hard to say what got in thru there, could be a raccoon or a weasel.
How are you so sure that's where they got in, was there any fur stuck there?

 

[Ebz5003]

So not really a hole but a gap from not securing the 2 pieces of overlapping HC.
Hard to say what got in thru there, could be a raccoon or a weasel.
How are you so sure that's where they got in, was there any fur stuck there?

Yes, that's right. I am not sure I've seen any fur at all, so I'm not sure. I also noticed a 2.5 inch deep hole under the run door today, and something could have gotten in thru there. Could a raccoon have gotten thru something that small though?? Makes me think it was a weasel, but no head was left in the run....whatever it was made offwith Beaker's head

 

[aart]

Yes, that's right. I am not sure I've seen any fur at all, so I'm not sure. I also noticed a 2.5 inch deep hole under the run door today, and something could have gotten in thru there. Could a raccoon have gotten thru something that small though?? Makes me think it was a weasel, but no head was left in the run....whatever it was made offwith Beaker's head

I agree weasel, they are more likely to go for the neck and just drink the blood and/or take the head.

 

[Rand0]

I went out to coop/run this morning to find chickens' large feeder knocked over, huge pile of shavings dug thru outside of the run, and a gaping hole where something got in. Whatever it was killed my buff Silkie cockerel, Beaker. Took only head, apparently? And left all the other pullets/ chickens unharmed. What did this? I've attached picture of the Silkie (warning- graphic!), and a picture of the dried blood with predator's paw prints in it.

that's a raccon alright. they don't prefer the rest of the body and they go for the head. had two encounters with them.one where a dead hen my sibling buried was dug up and decapitated and another where a raccoon planned on stealing my hen and tried to rip her head off.

 

[Ebz5003]

I agree weasel, they are more likely to go for the neck and just drink the blood and/or take the head.

I noticed a big skunk this morning, near where I left the Silkie's body yesterday. With the dig pile I found outside my coop, could it have been a skunk?

 

[aart]

I noticed a big skunk this morning, near where I left the Silkie's body yesterday. With the dig pile I found outside my coop, could it have been a skunk?

It's really impossible to say, what feeds on a carcass could be what killed it or not.
.....and in the long run doesn't matter.
Just repair any breaches and hope for the best.
Might put up a trail cam to catch any preds trying to get at the birds.