GRAPHIC What killed my hen? Predator or illness?

[Mr Oviraptor]

I wanna say Hawk but there would be much more feathers if that was a Hawk, They rip the feathers off when they eat, I wanna say that was a Mink or possibly a feral Dog, Minks will kill for fun, So will Feral Dogs

Or possibly a Black Vulture, She could have been lethargic and a Vulture got her, I've seen it happen and they usually go for the behind

 

[WingsysRoost]

I wanna say Hawk but there would be much more feathers if that was a Hawk, They rip the feathers off when they eat, I wanna say that was a Mink or possibly a feral Dog, Minks will kill for fun, So will Feral Dogs

My first thought was mink as well. I don’t know though, because mink kills are supposed to be awful in terms of damage and number killed. I would have expected at least some blood if a mink was trying to subdue her, or more killed at once, or something. I also don't see a ton of teeth marks around the wound. It could be possible, though.

I suppose it could have been a dog but not super likely as it was inside a fenced yard and dogs would likely have killed more than one and left more damage.

She didn't actually have a ton of feathers on her stomach, so a hawk wouldn't have had to pluck a ton of feathers. I also found it suspicious that a hawk was seen there not very long afterward, investigating that area.

 

[Mr Oviraptor]

My first thought was mink as well. I don’t know though, because mink kills are supposed to be awful in terms of damage and number killed. I would have expected at least some blood if a mink was trying to subdue her, or more killed at once, or something. I also don't see a ton of teeth marks around the wound. It could be possible, though.

I suppose it could have been a dog but not super likely as it was inside a fenced yard and dogs would likely have killed more than one and left more damage.

She didn't actually have a ton of feathers on her stomach, so a hawk wouldn't have had to pluck a ton of feathers. I also found it suspicious that a hawk was seen there not very long afterward, investigating that area.

Perhaps she was already weak when the Hawk killed her?

 

[WingsysRoost]

Or possibly a Black Vulture, She could have been lethargic and a Vulture got her, I've seen it happen and they usually go for the behind

It could have been. Maybe not a black vulture, but we have turkey vultures here. I would think my dog would have made a commotion about a vulture landing right next to the fence. Maybe not, though, or it could have happened shortly after he went inside.

 

[WingsysRoost]

Perhaps she was already weak when the Hawk killed her?

Honestly, this was my second thought after it being a mink (or an opossum). Either she could have been weak, or she was already dead, because there is absolutely no obvious sign that she tried to fight. She was just laying there, in the same way that other birds have when they passed from illness, with no wound aside from the stomach wound and the little mark of blood on her wing (and apparently on her neck, but I can't see in the picture and I never got a chance to look at her). If it weren't for the wound, I would have assumed illness from the start especially since her health was seeming a little bit questionable already.

 

[WingsysRoost]

I think the part of this that is most confusing is the fact that there seems to be no obvious sign of struggle. I'm not sure if the purple comb is a clue or not. She could have easily had an issue that happened quickly, like another hen of mine did. I really don't know, though.

 

[thecatumbrella]

I thought of your post this morning because I just caught a massive fishercat running through my yard. They tend to attack chickens from the rear and pull the entrails out. They also attack along the woodline. It must have gotten spooked off before it could drag her away.

Hoping this can give you some closure.

 

[RareChicken]

I’m so sorry for your loss!! I know how upsetting something like this can be!

I would honestly say Vulture. If they find a weak hen they will take advantage of the situation. She could have possibly of already passed. Which could make sense for the lack of blood. Blood is no longer being pumped around the body and it begins to pool on whatever side (or back) the animal is laying on when it passes.

As for the no signs of a struggle, that depends. If she was already weak from possibly being ill she would not have put up too much of a fight. I have also had an experience where a fox broke into one of my runs and was holding a hen down eating feathers from her crop and she was just sitting there. Never would have believed it but I saw it with my own eyes.

 

[McChooky]

I'm sorry for your loss and think covering the yard will help prevent losses from aerial predators. Considering she was found from with her intestines out through an opening in her stomach she likely died from disembowelment. (A purple comb can be caused by poor circulation and heart attack) Its quite possible your dogs intervened and prevented the predator from consuming it. I wouldn't rule out this attack being a weasel either. https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/neck-breaking-disembowellin firstg-constricting-and-fishing-the-violent-world-of-raptors

 

[McChooky]

My first thought was mink as well. I don’t know though, because mink kills are supposed to be awful in terms of damage and number killed. I would have expected at least some blood if a mink was trying to subdue her, or more killed at once, or something. I also don't see a ton of teeth marks around the wound. It could be possible, though.

I suppose it could have been a dog but not super likely as it was inside a fenced yard and dogs would likely have killed more than one and left more damage.

She didn't actually have a ton of feathers on her stomach, so a hawk wouldn't have had to pluck a ton of feathers. I also found it suspicious that a hawk was seen there not very long afterward, investigating that area.

Minks make a small incision in the neck which are hard to detect.Mink will kill multiple birds when they're trapped inside a coop but I've never heard of one killing multiple birds free ranging that a way to escape. Having a body of water nearby increases the odds of your having chickens killed by weasels or mink