do turkey vultures eat live chickens?

[KPchickies]

Yes, turkey vultures (at least here in Eastern PA) will kill and eat chickens. I lost an adult bantam to one a couple of weeks ago. I didn't actually see the attack, but when I came outside a large vulture was in the process of eating the body. Since that incident, I have been keeping a much closer eye on the sky when they are out and at any given time I will see up to 10 vultures circling above my chickens, diving pretty low at times until I round them up and get them in their coop.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: I suspect something else killed your bird.
I've had buzzards here eating dead possums or squirrels with the chickens walking around not 20 ft away

 

[Muffinburgler]

Yes, turkey vultures (at least here in Eastern PA) will kill and eat chickens. I lost an adult bantam to one a couple of weeks ago. I didn't actually see the attack, but when I came outside a large vulture was in the process of eating the body. Since that incident, I have been keeping a much closer eye on the sky when they are out and at any given time I will see up to 10 vultures circling above my chickens, diving pretty low at times until I round them up and get them in their coop.

If you didn't see the attack, then you really cannot blame the turkey vulture. They literally have NO WAY to kill anything. They don't have talons, they don't have the strength to take out anything fighting it. They eat dead things only. The vulture found your bird already dead by something else.