What predator did this??

(GRAPHIC PICS IN COMMENTS. BEWARE IF QUEASY OR SENSITIVE) I need some predator identification help. I found one of my chickens (Easter egger) dead and another (EE) is missing. The dead one, Jimi, looks like she has a hole in her belly/side and the intestines were pulled out. Feathers are EVERYWHERE. I've found loads of them even 30+ feet away from her body. I don't see any feathers from our other girl but so far she's nowhere to be found. I'll search the pasture tomorrow. I'm thinking hawk but not sure which kind and if I'm even right. It's my understanding that a red tailed can fly away with medium sized chickens but that Cooper's Hawks kill and eat a little but leave the body??? Or am I off track and it could be something else. We are in central NC so raccoons, opossum, coyotes, fox, and hawks are the main predators. Any ideas??? Pics in comments.

It happened sometime between late afternoon and dusk

I had a friend who had a mink get into her coop and do something similar to seven hens. It just took the choice bits then moved on to kill the next. They didn't know it was a mink until they set traps. I would imagine that other members of the weasel family could and probably would do something like you see.

Could have been anything.
Where did it happen....free ranging... in open topped run....????

The feather 30 feet away could be from the missing bird....so something big enough to carry carcass away...fox, coyote.

Probably not hawk they usually don't eat the gut first but head and breast.

aart said:

Could have been anything.
Where did it happen....free ranging... in open topped run....????


The feather 30 feet away could be from the missing bird....so something big enough to carry carcass away...fox, coyote.

Probably not hawk they usually don't eat the gut first but head and breast.

Click to expand...

They are free ranging. I found Jimi in my garden near the back fence (woods are behind the fence) under a tree. The feathers are for sure all hers because she is black and white and the one that's missing is red. About to take the Ranger out and scan the rest of the property. Hoping she's just hiding. Those two were always together so my guess is she either got killed and carried away or spooked into the woods over that fence. Going to set up our trail cameras where Jimi was found and see what I can see.

Sorry to hear of your misfortune with the chickens but I had a similar thing happen two days ago. Found her 20 feet behind the quonset where they roost with feathers all over, intestines pulled out & a lot of the meatier parts eaten. After reading, I don't think it was a hawk; sounds like they swoop in, grab & fly away with the chicken. As of now, I'm blaming a stray, large tom cat thats been hanging around here; although I have seen lots of hawks and even a bald eagle fly over!! YIKES.
My 5 (4 now) hens & 2 roosters free-range & I'm thinking I need to build a run for them with a wire screened top if I want to keep enjoying the fresh eggs. After the loss of the hen, now the 2 roos are starting to fight over the remaining four... what next??


Hunting A Tom Cat In South Dakota!!

Could be a coon but they usually rip the head off and the organs I think. But Idk a coon got in our coop last spring I think and killed haft our flock then we finally caught it with a live trap and shot him. (It took six shots with a rifle to kill it!) But again I don't think it was a coon, maybe a Fox, coyote, mink,dogs etc.

Upon further investigation I found the other chicken's feathers mixed in with this one's. Still no sign of the body and we've been out looking for it all morning. Also, a very large hawk has been sitting in the trees right next to where I found Jimi and flying around the area all morning. Going to try to identify it. Isn't one I've seen before I don't think. So I'm 99% certain it was this hawk. My remaining 6 know the hawk is here and are under and in their coop. I think, at least for a while, they will have to stay in their run and not free range the whole property. Their run is very very large with a 10ft fence and I think I'm going to run wire across the top and hang some CDs. The hawk has been sitting in the trees now for over an hour just waiting for one to come out into sight. I originally saw it in the smaller tree that I found Jimi under. Then it moved to the larger trees a little further back once I let the dogs out. Hopefully I can keep the rest of my flock safe until I can rig up the wire and CDs.