What got my hens?

[soloequestrian]

I've had hens for years now on a very free range basis. Most of them roost up a tall tree but I had two who always roosted in the coop - one older hen who has roosted there for the past 6 years, since I got her, and one younger one who was slightly disabled after being hit by a car. The coop is up off the ground with a sloping walkway to a pop hole. Both the hens that roost in the coop have disappeared, either during the day or overnight. There is no sign of any sort of struggle, no feathers, nothing. I also seem to have lost one of the tree-roosters too, probably sometime last week - I just thought she was off laying an egg somewhere when she wasn't with the group, and then thought she might have laid a clutch and gone broody (weird time of year but hey ho). The remaining 6 hens seem fine. Any ideas what might have got the missing ones? I know I've lost to stray cats before but it just seems so odd that two were taken from the coop (possibly not, but big coincidence if they were both taken on the same day while out and about). The only other thing I can think is a pine marten but there is no good corridor from the woods down to where the hens are so it seems unlikely.... but so does having two hens disappear together. The coop isn't far from my bedroom window so I tend to hear if there is any sort of commotion.
Ideas anyone?!

 

[Errin Paddywack]

My sister lost her free range garden hen some weeks ago. No feathers, nothing to give a clue. She thinks it must have been a fox as the garden backs onto fields. First hen she has lost and has had a pet hen or two for years. Hen was used to dogs as my sister has one so possibly wasn't scared of a fox. She always took cover if a bird of prey was around. Very upsetting as she was a real character.

 

[Leo Walker]

I lost a little bantam to rats. No feathers, no body, she just disappeared. But not sure rats would take on a big hen. Pine martens seems a good call though. You dont have mink about do you? They are utterly lethal!

 

[soloequestrian]

Those would be a good call if it was just one, but I'm pretty sure I lost two at the same time....
I don't think we have mink around here.

 

[soloequestrian]

I borrowed a motion-sensitive camera and we seem to have a fox visiting every night. Still don't understand why there were no feathers or other evidence of a struggle, but I think this answers my question! Battening down the hatches now...

 

[DSB]

Fantastic Mr Fox1

 

[Evie91]

Fox I’d guess. Mine used to free range in the garden until mr fox started helping himself to pretty much one a day! Sometimes there would be tell tale feathers, other times no sign at all. one of the saddest losses was a little bantam- Mother and daughter who went everywhere together, even roosted separately to the rest. Fox must have taken mother, daughter was distraught - it was awful, took her ages and lots of encouragement to reintegrate with the rest. Kept them in for a couple of months, then tried garden again- had a fierce cockerel too- but on first day back out she was taken too- it was almost a relief, she never really got over losing her mum.