What predator could kill 10 chickens at once

[oriole]

Help,
I lost all 4 of my adult hens this morning. It seems they were also on the run when it happened. I have fence backyard and a good hen house. It looks as if the 4 big hens were running away from the hen house. The one farthest away about 100 ft from the hen house, had it's head and most of the upper body eaten. The one following and about 20 feet from the first one had just the head gone. Then I found the third one about 10 ft from the hen house and the 4th seemingly running in a different direction and both of them were just dead but not eaten. I also have eight 12 week old pullets and can see the feathers from one about 3 ft from the hen house door, five others are gone with no signs at all.
I found this at 8am and walked the fence line to make sure nothing got in and no holes. I have hawks in the area but usually they will kill one not 10 chickens. I live in a subdivision so I would call it city even though there is a lot of wild life in the area.
Any ideas as to what would do that? I am stumped. I don't think a single hawk could take down that many birds.
Thanks

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Dog or coyote, maybe a large cat, it sounds like

 

[Folly's place]

So sorry! It's a canine; dog, fox, or coyote, assuming you are in the USA. Confine your survivors where they will be safe, because your predator will be back, and happy to kill the rest.
Maybe some of your missing birds will be able to return, but your predator will be back for sure!
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

Your location will give clues too; we don't have cougars or bobcats here, so they didn't occur to me.
Mary

 

[Homesteadermomma6382]

I lost 8 of my flock a couple weeks ago to a pair of fox. Between the hours of 930 and 1100 am. Came home from the nightshift at 9. Fed all my animals. Went to lay down for a nap. When I got up there was feathers everywhere . One was my largest rooster. 4 laying hens and 3 young pullets.

 

[cmom]

So sorry for your loss. My guesses would be coyote or fox, but it could be a bobcat or maybe a dog. A bobcat killed 14 of my birds one night. Put up a game camera if you have one. Most likely the predator will be back to see if it has missed anything. Good luck...

 

[cmom]

I lost 8 of my flock a couple weeks ago to a pair of fox. Between the hours of 930 and 1100 am. Came home from the nightshift at 9. Fed all my animals. Went to lay down for a nap. When I got up there was feathers everywhere . One was my largest rooster. 4 laying hens and 3 young pullets.

So sorry for your loss. I have had a fox a couple of times kill some of my birds during the day but mostly I see them at night roaming on my game cameras. Good luck...
The date is wrong on this camera. This was from last week.

 

[cmom]

I lost 8 of my flock a couple weeks ago to a pair of fox. Between the hours of 930 and 1100 am. Came home from the nightshift at 9. Fed all my animals. Went to lay down for a nap. When I got up there was feathers everywhere . One was my largest rooster. 4 laying hens and 3 young pullets.

So sorry for your loss. I have had a fox a couple of times kill some of my birds during the day but mostly I see them at night roaming on my game cameras. Good luck...
The date is wrong on this camera. This was from last week.View attachment 2218770

 

[Homesteadermomma6382]

So sorry for your loss. I have had a fox a couple of times kill some of my birds during the day but mostly I see them at night roaming on my game cameras. Good luck...
The date is wrong on this camera. This was from last week.View attachment 2218770

Thank you. We have lost chickens to fox and weasel. Weasel is far worse as they dont kill for food but for fun. Killed my whole flock plus my rabbit. Left them all over my barn. That was horrible. Took a long time to get over that one.

 

[Bobbi4]

Help,
I lost all 4 of my adult hens this morning. It seems they were also on the run when it happened. I have fence backyard and a good hen house. It looks as if the 4 big hens were running away from the hen house. The one farthest away about 100 ft from the hen house, had it's head and most of the upper body eaten. The one following and about 20 feet from the first one had just the head gone. Then I found the third one about 10 ft from the hen house and the 4th seemingly running in a different direction and both of them were just dead but not eaten. I also have eight 12 week old pullets and can see the feathers from one about 3 ft from the hen house door, five others are gone with no signs at all.
I found this at 8am and walked the fence line to make sure nothing got in and no holes. I have hawks in the area but usually they will kill one not 10 chickens. I live in a subdivision so I would call it city even though there is a lot of wild life in the area.
Any ideas as to what would do that? I am stumped. I don't think a single hawk could take down that many birds.
Thanks

Raccoons and maybe opossums can do that! Take their heads and leave bodies!