Could it be Owls?

[centrarchid]

Thanks @cmom, I’m gonna get a game camfir the coop area so if anything’s happening at night I can be aware before it happens.

Pretty sure my original assumptions were right and it’s gotta be an aerial predator. This survivor looks like something tried to grab her from above. She has blood on her face and an injured neck and soreness and feather loss at her rump. In addition, the remaining hens have been unbelievably aerial-skittish the last two days....

View attachment 1535378

Not an owl.

 

[Bettyboop7499]

I had the same thing happen with mine-something tried to take one of my Barred Rocks and did take my Huge Wyandotte Rooster, she had the same missing back feathers as yours and all I found was the clump of Barred Rock feathers..not one rooster feather!!

 

[jolenesdad]

@Bettyboop7499 mine turned out to be hawks I just hadnt seen them.

Make sure to check out your one with missing feathers for any wound that may be hidden. So sorry for your loss.

 

[Bettyboop7499]

@Bettyboop7499 mine turned out to be hawks I just hadnt seen them.

Make sure to check out your one with missing feathers for any wound that may be hidden. So sorry for your loss.

Thank you, and I too am sorry for your loss! My Barred Rock healed up nicely, she is starting to get all her feathers back but she hasn't flown since. It has been several months now.

We were losing chickens left and right when they hung out in the woods! We ended up moving the coop away from the edge of the woods and out in the pasture. We haven't loss any for sometime now; however, I did lose my two Silver Duckwing OEGBs to aerial predators after that..

 

[ladyearth]

I read a while back that great horned owls can lift 3 times or so their weight. I think that is what got Honk Honk two yrs ago.or so.just a saying.

 

[WthrLady]

I also think it was a fox.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I am thinking like a fox/coyote or bobcat. I feel like a hawk might have taken the other bird that doesn't any feathers or could just be missing. Owls don't usually eat chickens.

The great horned owl is a serious predator of free ranging chickens. When they are feeding young they may kill one or two hens per night. Once there is one owl egg in the nest the hen owl will begin sitting so there is quite a drawn out period of time during which GHOs will be feeding owl chicks, all of them of a different age.

Barred owls, screech owls, and the barred owls close relative the spotted owl are not serious chicken predators.

I am unsure how much weight a GHO can lift but they are powerful fliers with broad wings and on the wing they are absolutely silent, at least they are silent to human ears.

 

[centrarchid]

I read a while back that great horned owls can lift 3 times or so their weight. I think that is what got Honk Honk two yrs ago.or so.just a saying.

They struggle with half their weight. A few years back I left out chicken carcasses of known weight in view of game cameras to record. Weight of owls was approximate. They could drag item heavier than they are but can not fly with it. They can drag an item of similar weight up into a tree, but the tree needs to be close.