Even though this isn’t that common, it’s still possible and has been observed.Coyotes often drag the chickens off far away and bury the body. They like to hide, stalk, and pounce on prey. However, because they aren’t very big, they usually try to attack chicks.However, if they attack a chick or a full grown bird they usually leave feathers or wings behind because they can’t get these parts down their throats.Still, you will usually see no other signs of disturbance.I’m sure you have heard the term, ‘there’s a fox in the hen house.’ That is because at some point there could be considering how much they love chickens.You’ll recognize that a fox has been in your coop if your chicken is missing. Some coyotes may work together to catch prey.After owning a (very) small flock of chickens, I’ve seen some of the common predators that prey on them. Or if your chicken’s intestines have been pulled out, then there is a high probability that a weasel has attacked your flock as well.I didn’t realize until recently that skunks stalk chickens. Opt for an all-natural spray if possible. Sometimes identification is easy, like the time a hawk swooped down and grabbed a bantam hen right before my eyes. They prefer to single out the old, the young and the weak, so those will be taken preferentially. There’s no exact data for this, as again, there are many variables that come into play.Many chicken owners have reported that they’ve seen coyotes come into their yard and kill the chicken, sometimes many at a time, but not eat them.This isn’t always the case. Coyote tracks are more slender and oval than domestic dog prints. Sorry … Factors like other predators in the area may have scared off the coyote before it could attack any chickens.Some coyotes will also kill chickens and eat them on the spot, leaving no remains. So even though your chickens are protected from coyotes using a coyote-proof coop, you’ll still have them roaming around.Other animals and competition directly affect coyote behavior. We have never had them around our home until recently. There are a few things to check for when you notice missing, wounded, or dead chickens. Sometimes a homeowner’s entire hen flock goes missing. Last spring, a fox busted right through the wire. You can buy urine freeze-dried and sprinkle it around the coop.You can sprinkle fur around your chickens to show predators that there’s a threat.
A rat, too, will disappear baby chicks without a trace.A chicken found dead in the yard, but without any missing parts, was likely attacked by a dog. In fact, chickens are a good eat for any carnivorous predator. The hard part is that your chickens are a source of food, so this may or may not be an approach you can take.For chicken owners, you’ll want to make sure there’s no source of accessible food for the coyote outside of the coop. Weasels can slip into a coop through an opening as small as one inch, and a family pack can do significant damage to a flock in an amazingly short time.Which parts are missing from a dead bird can help you identify the culprit. We were haggling with him and told him we would buy all of his laying hens.Well, he wanted more than what we offered. Are they showing up with inexplicable wounds?
If they decide to eat a chicken, it will usually be baby chicks because they are smaller and easier to get.You will know that they have attacked your chickens because you will find remaining small, wet feathers in the place of your once precious baby bird.However, you will know that you’ve had an opossum in your eggs because they leave a big mushy mess behind in the nesting space.I’m not a huge snake fan. Do raccoons eat chickens? You will know that your chickens might have been preyed upon by a dog if a whole chicken is missing. Other signs you may be dealing with a coyote (assuming you actually find the body or remains) are wounds on the shoulders, flank, or hindquarters.