After a neighbor lost about 40 chickens last week I made a short varmit hunt on their place last night. The hunt only yielded 1 coon and 1 skunk that I shot when my dogs were away. I saw several more skunks but didn't shoot because my dogs were too close. Thankfully the dogs have been broke off of skunks and none got sprayed. I will return without my dogs one night this weekend and eliminate all the skunks possible.

most likely on the right track

Yep, 40 chickens sounds more like Coyote or a Foxy Fox.....

If the a$$ end is ate out then it will be a coon or possum. If there heads and necks are gone then it most likely is a cat teaching it's young how to hunt and take down pray. They will keep returning until you put some pressure on it or kill it. No fun for sure if there your chickens.

The last bobcat I executed had been raiding my Guineas. In the past, I've noticed that cats will tend to kill as often as possible, and not eat the entire carcass. Maybe they're "training" their young 'uns, but they can sure wipe out a bunch of birds in a few nights, and leave the bodies around. Yotes tend to carry their kill off. For your neighbor to have lost 40 in one week, there may be a tag team match of cats working the flock. Better get on 'em fast or he'll be out of the chicken business real quick.

You folks are right. It helps to keep a few good dogs around the farmyard too. We have more chickens than any of our neighbors and never loose any to varmits. Our neighbors have dogs but they keep them inside the house so they are not a deterrent to varmits. In any case that gives me more places to hunt and more varmits to chase