The Only Think Left was the WINGS!

[LeeLynns]

Hey Guys,
I just went to collect eggs, and found what remains of one of my birds is the Wings attached to the back bone and wish bone thats ALL! What could have been the predator?

Thanks
Rick

 

[aart]

Could have been a plethora of things....something that had time to devour the whole bird.

 

[justplainbatty]

It would be helpful to know where you found the bird, inside of coop, in a run or free range. Also your estimate of what time the attack may have occurred.

 

[cressrb]

My daughter lives in Boerne, Tx and had almost the very same thing happen to one of her chickens. She found the remains
inside the coop, but sounded very much like what you describe. One one chicken. It never happened again, and we are
still mystified. I read all I could on BYC to see if someone had a similar experience. Your experience sounds the most
similar and you are both in Tx. hmmmmm

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Hey Guys,
I just went to collect eggs, and found what remains of one of my birds is the Wings attached to the back bone and wish bone thats ALL! What could have been the predator?

Thanks
Rick

A hawk or possibility a Great Horned Owl killed your hen.

Hawks and owls often start eating their chicken while it is still living. Raptors (at least hawks and owls) are not the accomplished killers plummeting out of the "wild blue yonder" like a bolt of lightning as depicted on Disney fairy tales.

Raptors do not have powerful jaws or teeth to use to grip, rip, tear, crush, or chew their food.

Birds of prey therefor must by necessity strip the flesh off of their victims one strip at a time and so leave behind a more or less complete and still articulated skeleton.

My ancestors discovered that keeping free-range chickens was easier and that it paid better if they
tolerated fewer free-range hawks.