Daytime predator question

[Folly's place]

Yet another 'who done it?'
Yesterday, sometime between 11am and 3:30pm, one of our bantam pullets was killed and partially eaten, by someone.
She was about 20 ft. away from the coop, under mature spruces. Her neck was eaten down to the bones, and her abdomen opened and partially eaten. She maybe weighed in at 1.5 pounds alive, so not large, and not carried off.
The other 31 birds were all fine and roosting inside at 5pm when I went to lock them in.
Weasel? Fox? The spruces are close together and about 35 ft. tall there, seems difficult for a hawk, but maybe a small one? Feral cat?
Southern Michigan, rural mostly.
Mary

 

[sourland]

Any chance that feathers were scattered around the kill ? That would be the signature of a raptor.

 

[Folly's place]

No, not a lot of scattered feathers either. No sign of struggles, at least not blood around her. In leaf litter, so no obvious tracks left. We've had a warm and muddy Christmas here!
Mary

 

[casportpony]

Sorry for your loss. When I lose one in the middle of the day it's usually a cat or a hawk. Here where I live, foxes only come around from dusk to dawn.

 

[chickens really]

Sounds more like a weasel? Fox take everything. Sorry that happened.

 

[Folly's place]

I'm also most concerned about a weasel, it seems like a weird eating style for either a cat or a fox. Everyone will continue to be locked in, and today the game camera will (finally!) be put up out there.
Mary

 

[casportpony]

We don't have weasels here (maybe we do and I haven't seen them), so can't comment on that, but we do have raccoons, skunks, opossom, fox, and cats. Not yet long ago, I spotted a feral cat eating a small pullet, and the pullet looked pretty much as you described your banty.

Edited to add:
I guess all I am trying to say is don't rule out a cat because they do hunt during the day, and they do seem to like going after stuff under 2 pounds.

 

[Folly's place]

Not good news either. I have a barn cat, new this summer, who hasn't SEEMED to be interested in attacking the chickens. I hope he's not the one!
Mary

 

[chickens really]

Not good news either. I have a barn cat, new this summer, who hasn't SEEMED to be interested in attacking the chickens. I hope he's not the one!
Mary

Doubtful...

 

[casportpony]

Not good news either. I have a barn cat, new this summer, who hasn't SEEMED to be interested in attacking the chickens. I hope he's not the one!
Mary

The one that ate mine was actively stalking mine, so I figured it would eventually catch one. Since I started feeding it it has stopped stalker my them.