Canine or Raptor?

[BabesDucks]

Hi everyone. Looking for answers hoping for closure. My baby was attacked and killed. The organs were lying to the right of the feathers. To the right of these was a small short trail of more feathers. Nothing else left. Mostly looks like feathers were plucked however a few of them are broken with small amounts of blood. Some do look like they were wet but not many and I don’t know if it’s saliva or bodily secretions from my baby. Thinking owl as we saw one swoop a couple weeks back and my Ring didn’t detect it. Thinking not a fox because my Ring detected nothing and it picks up my dogs just fine, however the Ring’s detection is more limited at night. My neighbors said they have seen a fox a couple times about 2 blocks from my house in recent weeks. I also had my sentinel Canada goose in my yard who was spooked away (unless she was also killed but nothing remains of her). She has not returned. When the owl swooped the other night my Canada was in the yard. She with my two ducks all ran from the owl. My baby was an Ancona so no ability to fly. My Canada could fly. My Rouen flew and was on my front porch terrified when I got home. Thanking God every day that she is ok. There are too many unanswered questions and if y’all could help me answer jut this one I think it might help but who knows. Thank you all for your knowledge and support. I’ve learned more from this group than anywhere else.

 

[Isadora]

I would lean towards Fox, but it does seem odd that they would have left organs. Normally a fox will just pick up the whole bird and trot off with it.

 

[BabesDucks]

I doubt the goose was killed. They have teeth and are fantastic fighters I have one out in the coop and it always helps me as I am a huge worry wart. Shes very friendly with humans but anything threatening... Not so friendly with I'm sorry about your loss. Trying to think of what could have done it!

I agree AND I am 99.9% sure I just saw her at a local pond. She has a silver metal band in her right foot. So did this goose! What are the chances? If it was her she isn’t interested in coming home with me that’s just fine with me!

 

[BabesDucks]

I doubt the goose was killed. They have teeth and are fantastic fighters I have one out in the coop and it always helps me as I am a huge worry wart. Shes very friendly with humans but anything threatening... Not so friendly with I'm sorry about your loss. Trying to think of what could have done it!

I agree AND I am 99.9% sure I just saw her at a local pond. She has a silver metal band in her right foot. So did this goose! What are the chances? If it was her she isn’t interested in coming home with me that’s just fine with me!

 

[McChooky]

Because of the absence of a body I would normally suspect a fox but they don't eat on site.They will "trot off" with them as Asadora stated! Whatever it was carried it a short distance away or you would have found it. Furthermore it scared the goose so badly it won't return which means it witnessed the attack and escaped .Because you've not seen a fox but did see an Owl swoop down recently I tend to believe it returned and killed your chicken sorry. If the owl partially ate it before carrying it off that would explain how the entrails fell out and got left. A Great White Horned Owl like other raptors plucks feathers to eat a bird.If it eats the head only it'll swallow it whole. Eating part of it makes it made it easier to carry off to eat where it was safe.The fact that the feathers were wet may be because the chicken was disemboweled and partially eaten. The Great White Horned Owl is called the Tiger of the SKY for a good reason.They have 200-500 lbs pressure in their talons. They have the highest wing loading of any raptor in the states and can carry a 5 lb chicken.

 

[_-Captain BRM-_]

I doubt the goose was killed. They have teeth and are fantastic fighters I have one out in the coop and it always helps me as I am a huge worry wart. Shes very friendly with humans but anything threatening... Not so friendly with I'm sorry about your loss. Trying to think of what could have done it!

 

[BabesDucks]

So sorry for your loss. Owls mostly take the heads from my experience. Probably the fox especially since you said there was a trail of feathers. I have several game cameras up on my property and most nights when the predators roam here I see one on at least one of the cameras, mostly fox or coyote. Good luck...

Thanks. It was a short trail. What does the crime scene look like after a fox kill??

 

[BabesDucks]

I had an EE fly into a dog pen once and the only thing left was the breast bone. I didn't exactly look around the yard after I got what was left of her away but I didn't see any organs in that area, just feathers.

What is an EE?

 

[Isadora]

What is an EE?

Easter Egger.

 

[McChooky]

If a large Owl ate its head off it would have a light carcass to fly off with and eat somewhere safe.Once the heads eaten and the cavity opened up the entrails can fall out. A fox would have eaten the whole chicken someplace else and not partially ate any of it. The chicken would have been intact(no entrails left in the grass)