What killed our roosters?

[TheMrs]

We're baffled at what may have killed two of our roosters in one night. I'm hoping you all might be able to give us some ideas.

We had three roosters. One of them (the head rooster) would roost in the coop with all of the hens. The other two roosters would roost in a tree that was right next to the coop, but technically in our pasture, outside the safety of our coop's wire fencing. During the day some of our flock would forage in our pasture and the two roosters would watch over them.

Saturday afternoon DH went to work on his tractor in the pasture and found chicken carnage everywhere. There were feathers strewn about and some of the intestines/heart were left lying there. There was very little blood, no bones, no head, no feet. Nothing but feathers and guts were left behind. We believe that something came during the night and snatched both of the roosters. They both went missing at the same time. What animal(s) would consume two whole chickens? What animal(s) would leave behind the feathers and guts and then take off with the rest of the bird? Any insight you can give would be appreciated! Thanks!

[MO_cows]

Hard to say. Everybody likes a chicken dinner! How high up in the tree did they roost? Coyote/fox probably wouldn't have been able to get them. That leaves owl, raccoon, bobcat, whatever else you have in your area.

[TheMrs]

Originally Posted by MO_cows

Hard to say. Everybody likes a chicken dinner! How high up in the tree did they roost? Coyote/fox probably wouldn't have been able to get them. That leaves owl, raccoon, bobcat, whatever else you have in your area.

They roosted about four feet up in the tree. They've spent the night there for months and we've never had any problem until now. We have all kinds of predators here, so I was hoping to narrow it down a bit. Everyone else is locked up safe at night, so hopefully there'll be no more dead chickens. Thanks for your input!

[Forcast]

sounds like possum, fox just leave a few feathers, but take the bird away, birds of pray leave a puff of feathers in one place from the impact, raccoons pull heads off and eat in place leave guts. At least this is what I have seem with birds I lost over the years.

[||Downhome||]

I'd say a pair or trio of coons.

With someone else (or several) coming along and batting cleanup.