What do you think killed my chicken? (picture of feathers included) (Lost another more pictures)

[biteme2134]

I think I lost an Ameraucana today. We sit on a 2 acre lot (1 acre mine 1 acre my neighbors) and the chickens free range from 10am on most days. We lost a rooster to a coyote last year and have seen a hawk try to get one of our older hens before (the hawk was smaller than the chicken). We have 24 birds so it's just nicer on them to let them roam around (and we know the risk). I just would like some feedback on what you think I'm dealing with.

I went to get eggs today around 430pm and found a pile of feathers out in the open about 10 feet from the coop. It was one of my younger birds, around 6 months old. My wonder is if that hawk maybe went for one of the smaller birds this time...

Also as I did a head count one of my full grown partridge rocks is completely missing w/out a trace. I know they'll go hide if they get super scared so she could show up in the morning, but she could be gone as well.

 

[Eggsoteric]

My guess would be either coyote or fox.

 

[farmerbrowne]

My guess would be like you figured hawk or eagle. I only say that because of there is no sign of any remains. do you have a lot of hawks around? another thing I wonder is if you have a lot of brush and "stuff" in your yard. Last year I had a similar incident and thought something got my bird with all the feathers around, but much to my amazment my hen must have gotten under an old car and acually was brooding a half dozen chicks!

 

[farmerbrowne]

but foxes are also known to take a whole chicken leaving only feathers

 

[joed1223]

My experience has been, trail of feathers is normally a fox, coon or coyote. A circle of feathers is usually a hawk! That pic looks like a four legged critter.

 

[biteme2134]

It was some time during daylight hours is what made me lean more towards a hawk -

• joed1223 - is this a circle? There was a trickle of feathers as you walked outward but not really in a line toward any one direction... so i wondered if maybe the bird was skipping around away from whatever was going for her...

 

[biteme2134]

also not a drop of blood anywhere....

 

[thechxwhisperer]

I think it is a bobcat, that's the signs that I saw after a bobcats stole 10 of my hens!

 

[biteme2134]

My guess would be like you figured hawk or eagle. I only say that because of there is no sign of any remains. do you have a lot of hawks around? another thing I wonder is if you have a lot of brush and "stuff" in your yard. Last year I had a similar incident and thought something got my bird with all the feathers around, but much to my amazment my hen must have gotten under an old car and acually was brooding a half dozen chicks!

we do have tons of brush around... we have probably 4 acres of woods in 3 directions before you would hit a house... With all the tail feathers pulled and the partridge also missing tho I'm not too optimistic for a broody hen... It would be nice tho!

 

[Eggsoteric]

A hawk wouldn't typically be able to carry off a full size chicken. They'll strike and feed off the prey on the ground. Fox (we thankfully don't have coyote) will hunt during the day, especially this time of year when they're feeding their kits. I've been dealing with a fox for the past 2 weeks - took one of my Marans hens about 2 weeks ago leaving only feathers behind (no signs of blood); s/he struck again (during the day) a few days later only this time the hen escaped but not without injury.