What kind of predator eats just the head and/or guts?

This week I've had 2 chickens killed in their coop. The only entrance for anything to get in would be a gap from the loft or a couple of places that is about 2" wide x 12" long or so.

Earlier this week there was a juvenile about 3-4 months old that just had its head and guts eaten. Last night something ate nothing but the head off of a chicken. What do you guys think this is? Today I'm going to fill in the gaps... but I still would like to know the possible predators. I did kill a small young possum that managed to get in there before I closed them up after free ranging a few days ago... think its another possum or something else?

All most certainly a possum. They will typically start eating in the stomach cavity area right behind the rib cage and leave a husk of a chicken behind. I think that a possum's small and weak teeth condemn them to a life of scavenging.

If i had worked at it hard i could likely have paid my way through college with the possums i caught feeding on a pile of chicken guts.
 
I just came home to find poor Trixie dead inside the henhouse. Her head and guts were gone; she looked like an unplucked chicken ready to be stuffed. A large organ was left behind, but I don't know what it is. Sorta egg shaped, but a little larger encased in tissue, etc. What puzzles me is that she was inside the secured henhouse with an automatic pop door that closes at sunset and doesn't open until dawn. She had to have been killed while the door was open, otherwise the critter couldn't have gotten in there. I had a raccoon and a possum coming on the porch for the cats' food at night, but Ive been bringing it in when I get home from work while it's still light and haven't been bothered by them anymore. Do they hunt during daylight, or dawn?

Any ideas?
 
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From your description, "she looked like an unplucked chicken ready to be stuffed. A large organ was left behind..." sounds like a possum kill to me. Possums will eat the chicken right on the spot. They often eat the head and crop and are known to eat the guts and leave the gizzard hanging in the empty cavity. Sorry about Trixie. :(
 
I'm sorry for your loss. I understand how traumatic it is to open up the coop to clean and find a body. We had a chicken from each coop eaten in a similar way, so 2 chickens from 2 different coops. One had just the head, neck and a little of the abdomen eaten. The other one had all the intestines and organs eaten and the spine of the neck was there and the head had the eyes were eaten, the feathers and comb and wattle were eaten and the remaining hollowed out head remained. So, looks like there are more votes for racoons. What about a cat? What would that look like?
 
I'm sorry for your loss. I understand how traumatic it is to open up the coop to clean and find a body. We had a chicken from each coop eaten in a similar way, so 2 chickens from 2 different coops. One had just the head, neck and a little of the abdomen eaten. The other one had all the intestines and organs eaten and the spine of the neck was there and the head had the eyes were eaten, the feathers and comb and wattle were eaten and the remaining hollowed out head remained. So, looks like there are more votes for racoons. What about a cat? What would that look like?
This thread is from 2010, my friend, you're not likely to receive a reply from the original poster.
 

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