Daytime chicken attack

[Jayme Joslyn]

We live in Florida and one of our hens was trying to lay when a predator came into the coop and ate her head. What kind of animal would do this?

 

[JackE]

Sounds like a weasel.

 

[SueT]

Oh no! Or maybe a raccoon? I don't really know, but many normally nocturnal predators can and do come out in the day.
We had happily free ranging chickens before a predator attack, and sadly they are all locked up now.
Anyway, welcome to BYC, good luck to you, keep them safe if you can.

 

[Allisha]

Sounds like a weasel, or a mink, or a fischer.
They can, and DO come out during the day to find food.
A Fischer came out during the day about a month back, went into the coop and decapitated a hen.
We believe our roosters FINALLY chased the thing off after it feasted for a bit, because I think we would have had more casualties.
I do not blame them though, a fischer is LARGE

 

[100chicklover]

It could be a wild cat

 

[bechicken]

We also live in Florida. We have seen Hawks take the heads off of some chicken behind our office.

 

[jamie0922]

So sorry to hear that. Being in the southeast, it sounds like either a raccoon or a hawk.