What happened to my 15 chickens(some died & some completely disappeared) overnight?

Question

8 WERE DEAD WITH SMALL PUNCTURES ON DIFFERENT PARTS OF THEIR BODIES & 7 DISAPPEARED. THERE WERE VERY FEW FEATHERS IN THEIR PEN. SOME HAD THEIR NECKS BROKE.

Answer 1

I would say your ones who are missing will stay that way as they were dinner for some animal.
Could be a lot of animals who are the culprit.Such as snakes,weasels,raccoons,foxes, or even stray cats or dogs.I had problems with varmints getting my chickens in the beginning even though I had a good pen for them.I kept my dog outside one night and the next morning he had killed a weasel.I felt bad for the little weasel,but my dog was just doing his job.That put a stop to the chicken killings,until a fox took up residence nearby.I didn't want to kill the fox so I found homes for my remaining chickens.

You might want to get a camera and set it up overnight to see who is visiting your chickens.Just a thought.Sorry about your hens.

Answer 2

If the punctures were small and there was little other damage to the bodies, it could be a fox or mink. Wild dogs or coyotes would leave a mess. A strong chicken coop that an animal couldn't dig under or climb into is the best way to avoid losing your chickens.

Answer 3

necks broke. . . i live in california on a mountain area, and wildlife is abundant. let me give you a list of everything i've seen and everything possible. these are all possible . . .
-bobcat
-moutain lion, scary as it is
-raccoon, seen them pull piece by piece but the necks, dunno
-coyote
-skunks, smelly i no
-fox
many animals dig under the pen. if you didn't have a plywood or concrete flooring, try taking out the pen and rebuilding. do double- or triple chicken wire layering. do large holed, then medium, them small. this offers maximum protection. use lots of wood to secure it, put losts of poles in between the wire so it's very stable. staple or do whatever to make sure they can rip off the wire. make a sturdy door that's closed at all times, make sure it's got two latches at least! make sure it has an all wood or aluminum top. anything can literally drop in or jump inside your poor chickens area. i've seen bobcats sitting on top of my pigeons and chickens pen, waiting for a chance to swipe. i've also seen raccoons and foxes, but any wildlife is possible. don't give up. it may take some time but eventually, you can have the perfect haven. also, protect all other pets, cats, no matter what size are vulnerable to any wildlife. even stupid skunks will drag them out. my cats disappeared a month or 2 ago. dogs and whatever else are not safe, either. be aware of children not to eat wild animal droppings or keep close in case of a mountian lion.

Answer 4

If they had puncture wounds it was more than likely a skunk or a weasel. They generally make them in the neck.

I know that raccoons( & dogs or cats) make very little mess and will take the whole chicken with them, so it sounds like you had a few visitors in a night.

Answer 5

Sounds like some type of predator. Maybe mink or foxes.
My neighbors lost about 15 to a mink in one night.

Answer 6

I feel bad 4 u. Sorry 4 ur loss. I think that their wasn't many feather's then it might have been someone that they were used to, so they were not scared. That would be my guess!

Answer 7

It sounds like a raccoon or other wild animal. Keep them completely closed up at night. good luck.

Answer 8

Another animal got in their pen, killed some, and ate the others?

Answer 9

if you live in the country, its a 99% chance that it was coyotes. they love to pick off livestock and any other farm critters.

Answer 10

Some other animal got them.