Any idea what killed this girl?

[AuburnChickenNewbies]

So ... our neighbor called to report (and warn us), that something killed one of her hens yesterday afternoon. She said that there were tons of feathers, and just the intestines left. And that she's positive it was in the middle of the afternoon.

My guess was that it sounded like a cat of some sort as hawks (and there are plenty of them around) would likely have just taken the whole bird and run off with it. I don't really know what raccoons do, and there were no signs that a coyote or dog broke into the pen. Didn't sound like minks or ferrets or rats, but I really have no idea.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[troy4]

Sounds like a fox.Whenever my hens get caught by 1 of those feathers are EVERYWHERE!

 

[AuburnChickenNewbies]

A fox is probably a really good thought, but I don't think we have wild foxes around here. Maybe. We're in an area just south of Seattle. Lots of other critters, but I don't know that I've ever seen a fox running around.

 

[AuburnChickenNewbies]

AHA! Apparently we have a bald eagle in the area that's taken to chickens and swooped in for a feast. The neighbors caught sight of it this morning. Unfortunately, that's a tough one to stop, so they're going to have to put up a net, etc., of some sort. And, like us, they have a big pen for their flock, so it's tough to cover the whole thing. Maybe they can just put up some temporary shelters of some sort.

I still think it's odd that the eagle ate it on the spot and left the innards. But I have no idea of eagle habits, so ....

 

[troy4]

You may wanna call somebody.Eagles are tough boys they may just break the fencing.I'd have him removed from the area.Or put in a zoo

 

[AuburnChickenNewbies]

You may wanna call somebody.Eagles are tough boys they may just break the fencing.I'd have him removed from the area.Or put in a zoo

I agree, they are tough. But they're native around here and we do see them frequently. More and more lately it seems. We have a lot of hawks at all times, and those are typically are biggest predators. The pen for our own birds is under trees, which typically deter the hawks from swooping down and grabbing one. However, the neighbor's pen only has a tree in the corner. It's substantial, but not nearly as protected.

I don't know whether eagles hunt like hawks do, but the hawks tend to snatch and grab and go after the smaller ones that they can easily lift out of the pen. And the call. Ours seem to know that sound and get up under the trees and the coop immediately.

I doubt whether we'd be successful in having him removed. There'd likely just be a replacement pretty quickly.

 

[troy4]

I agree, they are tough. But they're native around here and we do see them frequently. More and more lately it seems. We have a lot of hawks at all times, and those are typically are biggest predators. The pen for our own birds is under trees, which typically deter the hawks from swooping down and grabbing one. However, the neighbor's pen only has a tree in the corner. It's substantial, but not nearly as protected.

I don't know whether eagles hunt like hawks do, but the hawks tend to snatch and grab and go after the smaller ones that they can easily lift out of the pen. And the call. Ours seem to know that sound and get up under the trees and the coop immediately.

I doubt whether we'd be successful in having him removed. There'd likely just be a replacement pretty quickly.

Oh.I wish that they're wren't so many.

 

[AuburnChickenNewbies]

Me too, Troy! Thanks for your thoughts on this. It's always distressing to lose a bird, especially when it just seems to happen out of nowhere!

BTW, I love your profile picture of your puppies! They're darling!

 

[troy4]

Me too, Troy! Thanks for your thoughts on this. It's always distressing to lose a bird, especially when it just seems to happen out of nowhere!

BTW, I love your profile picture of your puppies! They're darling!

well good luck!I wish those puppies were mines!I do wish to get a huskie,but for now i'll just have to have a pic of others.