Please Help!! What is getting my hens (Graphic Pic)

[ourlittleflock]

please help!!! I have lost 2x LF cochin hens in the last week

1. incident
found hen in woods on a path they travel everyday
neck looked broken (nothing eaten) and she had a large gash on the side. the gash exposed her whole side. no one else was bothered

2. incident today (pic attached of her)
found hen in front flower bed of house
this time she had a large gash on her side. slightly eaten. half of her neck and head was completely gone on one side but still attached to her body
feathers everywhere
again no one else was bothered

both events happen between 12-3 during the day

 

[jeffmazz]

My guess would be a hawk.

 

[JessyGii]

hawks usually always rip intestines out and fest on the belly portion, this looks like a definite weasel attack. weasels kill for fun and will come back until there's nothing left to kill anymore they rip the heads off or bite the necks, and chew off the back end or area.

 

[crazyfeathers]

So sorry about your chicken, my sympathies.

 

[ourlittleflock]

thanks - the flock will stay up for a few days until I can get this figured out

 

[aart]

I'd say the first was a dog, unless you scared off the predator before it could leave with it's meal it could have been anything but probably 4 legged.

The second sounds like a hawk, they'll eat the head and neck first and they pull a lot of feathers.

Weasels don't kill for fun, but they are very efficient and can kill multiples before eating and usually kill in the coop at night.

Sounds like you need a covered run.

 

[ScottyChic]

Do you have such beasts called MINK?

Here where I live, MINK are notorious for killing for fun.

They will quite happily kill numerous hens in one go then disappear without participating in a meal. Horrible, verocious creatures.

Did I hear someone mention WEASELS? - I guess they may be related to Mink/Ferretts.

I hope that you catch the predator responsible and deal with it accordingly.

Good Luck.

 

[Basskids08]

I agree, same thing happened to mine, and it was a mink... Or weasel.. Same family.

 

[VulpesVulpes]

Mink are primarily nocturnal, so an attack in the middle of the day seems odd and I would rule it out. Could also be a fox. Foxes are indiscriminate killers. They don't always kill to eat, sometimes it's for sport. Weasels are the same way.