Overnight - two hens that were kept in a closed coup have gone. 8ft wall on back - 5ft fence all around. Feathers within the enclosure and a couple of specs of blood in the coup. Both were fairly large hens not special birds so don't suspect human intervention - just wondering if anyone else has had similar. We've had fox's in the past but they are pretty messy in whats left. Owls or other birds of prey?

Foxes I reckon.

Or cats.

I was very sorry to hear that your two hens have gone.

Was the entrance/exit to the closed coup you refer to locked?

Unlikely to be a bird of prey - unless you've got a golden eagle dropping in for a takeaway. You said they were fairly large hens. But you're in Staffordshire so it is unlikely.

The buzzard is quite widespread but generally, it will only take up to the size of a small rabbit and then only if it is easy prey. It's quite happy to feed on road kill, rodents, beetles, frogs, earthworms... owls aren't big enough to take a full-sized hen except for (slightly possibly) the European eagle owl and there are thought to be only a few breeding pairs in England so it is very unlikely.

There's always the possibility of an escapee of some variety from a bird of prey centre but realistically, the hens are unlikely to have been taken by a bird of prey.

A five-foot fence is not going to trouble a hungry fox - or a human predator.

Bloody foreigners coming here and nicking our birds.

Sorry OP. Could be a cat. But why would it take 2 in one night.

So sorry to hear about your hens, id be gutted if my girls were taken.

The coup was wedged closed (the two birds were in a temporary housing due to them 'bullying one of the other birds who has a gammy leg and thus have pecked her feathers out!). Its a strange one as we had foxes come around and kill a previous flock, but left carcases behind. This time there is nothing except a few feathers. Its nature I guess.

A fox can't carry away more than one or two carcases hence when it kills a flock, there is a mess left behind though it will return over time to collect more if the dead birds are not cleared away.

If it was two birds in their own coup then I am guessing a fox. It would able to carry a couple of birds.

Fox. Foxes will jump/climb a 5 foot fence easily. They need to be in a closed secure coop for the night. Seen it happen all too often.

Again. Most likely a fox.

When I was living in Devon, the only predator of hens were foxes. Cats and buzzards/other birds of prey etc. weren't an issue. Foxes were introduced to the area to satisfy the huntsmen's need, so the hens had to be homed in enclosed hen houses.