Chicken with head missing

[Royal Ridge Ranch]

This afternoon I found one of my Rhode Island Reds laying in the yard with just the head missing. There were minimal feathers around it. Any thoughts on what may have gotten it during the day?

 

[Ursuline Chick]

I don't know the answer, but it may be a raccoon. They like to take heads off birds for sport

 

[bill3607]

This afternoon I found one of my Rhode Island Reds laying in the yard with just the head missing. There were minimal feathers around it. Any thoughts on what may have gotten it during the day?

You are going to get a lot of replies with different animals since a lot of animals will take just the head. The thing is you say during the day. Raccoons, opossums, skunks, owls and many more would mostly attack at night. I would think hawk, maybe, being the likely culprit for a daylight attack if you are sure it during the day that it happened.

 

[Kirkwooder]

Mink are the most likely to attack in the daylight and take just the head.

 

[Royal Ridge Ranch]

I am positive it happened during the day. We have lost some at night, when we couldn't get them cooped up, and also have seen a hawk have one on the ground, eating only the breast. Because this was in broad daylight, and only the head, I was baffled. I researched predators that take only the heads, and most of them are night hunters.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Many animals are raising young and may be finding food. Also we have seen raccoons in the daylight here.

 

[bill3607]

As far as internet goes, or even just talking to other bird owners, you will find that nearly all of the predators at times will only take the head. Owls are also pretty well known to take the head. They mostly hunt at night, but it is not unheard of for daylight hunting. I remember an owl that stayed out all day hooting, hunting the whole 9 yards. He was around for years and everyday he was out doing his thing. Cats will eat just the head of a lot of the animals they kill. I have read posts on here of people having problems with feral cats. I do not know if one could take a full blown hen down or not. But, if one did, it would probably be the head they would eat or take off with. And, as I posted earlier, hawks will sometimes just take the head. It does not mean that is what they do every time. And, they mostly hunt during the day. Also, most predators will kill a chicken by biting the neck and/or biting/ripping the head off. And, as someone posted earlier, it is not unheard of for a raccoon to be out during the day as could skunks, opossum, etc.. It is not the usual way they go about it but it is possible. Whatever it was may have killed it and got spooked off and grabbed the head up and ran off.