Help! Can someone please help me identify the predator that killed over 1/2 of my flock

[Amelia ducks]

If you live by woods then it was probably a raccoon that normally rip the body wide open it’s also possible that it was a Fox they do the same thing

 

[Amelia ducks]

If the chickens were killed out side I suggest leaving them in the coop for a few days if a predator finds easy food they will take it I had a similar experience but we built a new coop and one part was big enough for a raccoon to get in and it ripped open 2 chickens and my last Pekin of that year and 2 full grown chickens were left that was about 2 years ago so sorry about what happened trust me it’s worse when you never find the body hopefully this helps

 

[New2chickchicks]

I just wanted to update here that I have confirmed it was a fox attack. I was talking with another neighbor today and they saw a fox carrying off one of our chickens around 6am. This is literally one of the only times our coop has been open that early in the morning. I have kept the chickens in the coop for the past week and there has been nothing trying to get into the coop. My husband ordered a timer for our run door so hopefully we can avoid any more casualties related to the coop door being open too early or closed too late. Thank you all for your condolences and advice....so very helpful!

 

[Duckstail]

I just wanted to update here that I have confirmed it was a fox attack. I was talking with another neighbor today and they saw a fox carrying off one of our chickens around 6am. This is literally one of the only times our coop has been open that early in the morning. I have kept the chickens in the coop for the past week and there has been nothing trying to get into the coop. My husband ordered a timer for our run door so hopefully we can avoid any more casualties related to the coop door being open too early or closed too late. Thank you all for your condolences and advice....so very helpful!

Obviously you know now it was a fox but you could have just looked at the wounds for a bite pattern..

I got a good kick out of the cat theory!! Lol

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Except for the fact that more than one bird was taken in quick succession all the signs point to the culprit being a hawk. Or perhaps a pair of hawks with chicks to feed.