What killed her?

[buckyscheerio]

Something killed Rita, a sweet older hen between 2 and 4 in the afternoon. She seemed to be partially skinned with the skin pulled up from her back almost over her head and her tail was pulled off. Since that happened I spoke with a friend whose neighbor lost a few chickens in the same manner. Too late now but I'm wondering what might've done that? She wasn't carried off or eaten.

 

[cafarmgirl]

I would suspect a roaming dog. Most wild predators are not going to run off and leave a perfectly good meal behind unless they get interrupted and scared. Even then they often will grab and run. Chickens that are mauled and just left are often the work of a dog.

 

[buckyscheerio]

I don't think it'd be a dog, the chickens are in a large fenced area (52"h livestock panels, narrow spaces at the bottom), they share it with a couple of ducks, two goats and a mini donkey. The area is right behind the house too.

 

[aart]

Hawk.

 

[TheReadyBoys]

Could a cat get into the coop? Maybe it was an air attack of some sort, like aart suggested, a hawk?