So very sorry to hear abour Chick Chick. Its so hard when we are attached to our chickens. Usually foxes and bobcat take the whole body off to eat it.

Raccoons very often eat the head and parts of the body then come back the next day or night to eat the rest. Sometimes they take it a short distance like just out of the coop and eat part of it.

We have tons of possums but they usually only eat eggs or small chicks. They are more opportunists than actively stalking full grown chickens. If they were literally starving they might go after an adult.

I have seen coyotes and hear they take the whole carcass.

Neighbor dogs killed a hen and most her babies once by breaking through a gate. A different incident they broke in and killed lionhead bunnies and also left the bodies. They just murdered them for sport and left them. Many dogs out running the area constantly these days. One of the reasons I'm moving.

Unfortunately I have had a lot of experience with predators here since we are backed up to woods and skeezy neighbors. I bet you have a raccoon if it left body parts.

Oh, I'm sorry that happened, ritaweeda.

Well since the carcass was a short distance away I'm going to assume it was a raccoon, thanks Sultry for that info. I don't know what body parts were consumed, when I saw that awful gory mess I didn't take time to inspect it, too upsetting. I never allowed myself to become attached to the chickens like they were pets so I'm not devastated, but it's still upsetting to think that she had to die like that. Especially since she always wanted me to hand-feed her the greens or lettuce when I had a treat for her - she would eat it if I threw it down but she really liked to pick bites of it out of my hand. Nature is so cruel. DH couldn't find an opening anywhere in the enclosure so the only thing I can think is that the door latch wasn't completely closed on the entryway door and it got in through that and when it left it closed, seems unlikely but we just can't see how it got in otherwise. Since raccoons use their front paws to manipulate objects that seems more likely to be the culprit.

Raccons are very good at figuring out latches. The only latches I use now, that I have found are raccoon proof and fairly cheap are either a large Spring loaded latch with eye hook or another latch wuth a carbiner clip through it to prevent it from getting pulled open . I stick the latches on top and bottoms if doors because we had them figure out how to pull the door open enough on the bottom to squeeze through.

Or something like this with a Carbiner clipped through the hole.

About the raccoons--I remember many years on this forum someone was complaining about losing chickens even with a combination lock on his hen house, so he put an infrared surveillance camera out, figuring it must be a neighbor who was getting in somehow.

To his surprise, the camera showed that the raccoons were spending the night twirling the combination lock over and over and over until they hit the combination and it opened. Does anyone else remember that?

Wow. I've had the most determined ones chew through 3/4 inch plywood with roll roofing over it. I had to cover the roof with corrugated metal.