Strangest Chicken Murder-Please Help!

[ChickenGirl300]

Hello, earlier today we found one of our chickens, Bailey, dead in the pen. She had no feathers on her head any neck, and all the flesh was cleanly gone. We have an automatic closing chicken door, but have never had a chicken stuck outide. Outide the pen, there was a hawk head. There is no obvious way for the hawk to get into the pen. No feathers or anything outside it. We have a neighbor who may have heard the attack and came and killed the hawk and taken away the body, but he hastn't told us. Does anyone have any idea what could have happened? We have stoats, fisher cats, fox, coyote, raccoon, eagle, and hawks of varying sizes (this one was a red tail, judging by the size of the head)

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Do you have a rooster? Did you examine the hawk for any injuries? (I would contact a game warden on the hawk.)

 

[BobStuart]

Do you have a rooster? Did you examine the hawk for any injuries? (I would contact a game warden on the hawk.)

I was just about to ask that very question. If there is a rooster. The rooster may have killed the hawk. That’s what I believe happened. The hawk killed Bailey and rooster killed hawk.

 

[ChickenGirl300]

Do you have a rooster? Did you examine the hawk for any injuries? (I would contact a game warden on the hawk.)

I was just about to ask that very question. If there is a rooster. The rooster may have killed the hawk. That’s what I believe happened. The hawk killed Bailey and rooster killed hawk.

No, we don't. 2 six year old hens, and the three younger ones. And the hawk wasn't in the pen either, and there was no way in that we could find

 

[BobStuart]

No, we don't. 2 six year old hens, and the three younger ones. And the hawk wasn't in the pen either, and there was no way in that we could find

Very strange. Do you have other pets like dogs or cats?

 

[ChickenGirl300]

Very strange. Do you have other pets like dogs or cats?

Nope, no pets. A neighbor said owls sometimes kill hawks, but there was still no way into the pen. I'm thinking it was some sort of weasel or mink.

 

[BobStuart]

Nope, no pets. A neighbor said owls sometimes kill hawks, but there was still no way into the pen. I'm thinking it was some sort of weasel or mink.

That is very, very strange.

 

[aart]

What size is the mesh on the run(pen) walls?
If the chicken was inside the run with a stripped head, I'd guess it got grabbed thru the mesh.
And the hawk head was outside the run, so something else got it.
Did this happen after dark?

 

[ChickenGirl300]

What size is the mesh on the run(pen) walls?
If the chicken was inside the run with a stripped head, I'd guess it got grabbed thru the mesh.
And the hawk head was outside the run, so something else got it.
Did this happen after dark?

Nope, around one o’clock in the afternoon. The pen is chain link covered in chicken wire, the roof in chicken wire and 1-1.5 inch hole wire. The only predators not obviously secured against are weasels and possums. Besides a fisher a few years ago, we’ve never seen a weasel or ferret on the property, but I’ve read they often go for the head and neck which is what happened to our chicken.