Hawk, Cat, or Other

[erixsparhawk]

Predator ate only the meat of the neck, leaving the head attached via trachea and spinal column. I assume that this couldn't have been done by the rest of the flock. 6 year old bantam rooster been with the flock for 5 years. The rest of the hens are full size or half bantam, between 1-2 years old, raised from eggs. Watched the roo successfully fight off a hawk from the kitchen window before I could run out and intervene when he was 2.5 years old. I've seen fox(takes whole bird) and racoon kills before and they were not like this.
pic of bird layed out on porch: https://i.imgur.com/Vsd32PH.jpg
scene of the crime minus bird: https://i.imgur.com/775fPOO.jpg

 

[One special chicken mom]

Are you in an area where there are fishers? They typically go after the neck and breast. You can google kill patterns of different species of wildlife/domestic animals.

 

[The Phantom]

Mink? weasel?

 

[MrsMistyReal]

Sewer rats, as posted weasels,

 

[erixsparhawk]

Thanks everyone. Seems like it was a weasel.

 

[lazy gardener]

Weasel. He'll be back for more.

 

[sourland]

Why have you decided weasel ? Feathers plucked and scattered around the carcass, meat eaten from neck is typical of a hawk kill. Generally a smaller hawk such as a Coopers. A larger hawk would have eaten the head.

 

[lazy gardener]

The hawk kills I've always seen have been focused on the breast.

 

[lazy gardener]

However, I did not see the feather pile. Feather pile looks like hawk, but I still say weasel, cause of what I've seen of hawk kills.

 

[lazy gardener]

What time of day was the kill made? Where was it? In run? Open space? Under cover?