Any idea what could have snatched my chicken?

[CluckerFamily]

I agree with an areal attack and it carried her off.

 

[Artichoke Lover]

Stupid question but I thought aerial attacks always left a big pile of feathers. Or at least that’s my experience with the hawks hunting doves around here.

 

[cmom]

These pullets were killed by a hawk that found a breach in the netting covering the pens that I have since fixed. I happened to find the hawk in action. I got the hawk out and retrieved some of the bodies.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Florida has bears and cougars.
https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/bear/living/distribution-map/
As far as I know, Florida has 5 species of mustelids but they will either leave the bird whole or make a mess. https://www.nsis.org/wildlife/mamm/weasel.html
Without evidence, I would expect dog, coyote, owl, hawk or eagle.

 

[aart]

Stupid question but I thought aerial attacks always left a big pile of feathers. Or at least that’s my experience with the hawks hunting doves around here.

Yes...and not many BOP can fly off with a chicken.
More likely to be a canid, quick grab and go, not always signs of struggle(feathers).

 

[cmom]

A friend of mine here in Florida has been having issues with a black bear. It managed to get into where she keeps her feed and tore open some bags. Another neighbor said a cougar killed some of her birds. I haven't seen any but have had a big bobcat prowling around.

 

[Artichoke Lover]

I’ll be honest my chickens are a little fat and that’s why they free range a lot lol. But we kinda have the predator monopoly here. We’re in the country on the edge of the woods and open fields less than 3/4 of a mile from the river. We’ve seen of managed to get on camera bobcats, coyotes, stray dog packs, raccoons, possums, owls, 3 different kinds of hawks, foxes, large snakes. And there was a bear caught in the nearest town last year but that’s extremely rare.

 

[Artichoke Lover]

I just checked my game cameras and stray dogs are the main suspect found them sniffing around the coop last night.

 

[bryan99705]

Probably a hawk or other bird

hawk , fox or coyote.....they all will grab and go

 

[ackie]

Stray or loose dogs sounds like a call to Animal Control is in order, but I might be more city than where you're located.

Do coyote snatch one and run off? I've always thought they kill a few and run off with one. I assumed a coyote got our peahens this spring but one was eaten on site and left and the other was just dead and uneaten. Again, city, so the predators might behave differently here knowing a next meal isnt as far off.