Foxes eat chicken. It's hard to predict when these nocturnal animals may attack your hens or coop. A fox may steal your chicken without battle or suffering.
Foxes
Coyotes kill hens. Coyotes are a bigger threat to urban hen-keepers than foxes. Coyotes can dig through chicken wire to eat or steal hens, leaving little signs.
Coyotes
Feral cats threaten native animals and domestic poultry and ducks. Cats are good hunters, which helps them hunt. Most cats will attack a chick but not a full-grown chicken.
Cats
Minks are little but vicious. Minks feed larger animals. Huge birds have been drowned by being caught behind the neck. They may slaughter birds in one night.
Mink
Raccoons steal chickens from trash cans. Raccoons attack hens at night. Raccoons rarely eat a complete chicken, leaving most of the corpse, indicating it was a raccoon.
Raccoons
Bobcats, which are more common in rural areas, also prey on chickens. They prefer free-range over caged hens. Bobcats can catch one or two birds at once.
Bobcats
owls kill chicks. They're vigilant and examine hens from a tree before catching one. They attack adults but prefer chicks. Owls eat stolen chickens.
Great horned owls
Slow and harmless skunks are chicken predators. Skunks rarely take eggs or chicks. Nighttime skunks grab chicks by the head or neck.
Skunks
Snakes eat chicks and eggs. Snakes are rare chicken predators. They may consume a few chicks and be full for weeks.
Rat snakes