Hawk or stray cat?

[SquishyBerri]

Hi everyone! A couple days ago one of my salmon faverolle hens went missing. I figured she was broody somewhere in the yard since my chickens are free ranged. I went searching for her today and ended up coming across a small pile of feathers that had dried skin on them. The feathers were next to the wooden horse fence near the coop. I haven't found any blood or a body anywhere. I'm thinking it was a hawk or the stray cat that has been lurking around the yard. I have been seeing red tailed hawks near. I figured a hawk attacked and took the body somewhere. My second quess is that the stray cat attacked and took her body some place. The same stray cat has attacked one of my bantam hens before but she lived. She had bite marks on her saddle area and all of the feathers on her tail and saddle had been ripped out, but this time there is just feathers and skin on the ground. We have had owls around before and opossums but the stray cat would kill the opossums and rats. I would love to know what animal took her. If anyone has any ideas please let me know!

 

[All4Eggz]

Hi everyone! A couple days ago one of my salmon faverolle hens went missing. I figured she was broody somewhere in the yard since my chickens are free ranged. I went searching for her today and ended up coming across a small pile of feathers that had dried skin on them. The feathers were next to the wooden horse fence near the coop. I haven't found any blood or a body anywhere. I'm thinking it was a hawk or the stray cat that has been lurking around the yard. I have been seeing red tailed hawks near. I figured a hawk attacked and took the body somewhere. My second quess is that the stray cat attacked and took her body some place. The same stray cat has attacked one of my bantam hens before but she lived. She had bite marks on her saddle area and all of the feathers on her tail and saddle had been ripped out, but this time there is just feathers and skin on the ground. We have had owls around before and opossums but the stray cat would kill the opossums and rats. I would love to know what animal took her. If anyone has any ideas please let me know!

So sorry for your loss ):
I'm pretty sure it was a hawk.
A hawk is much more likely to get a chicken than a stray cat. Plus if it were the stray, it would have bitten the neck with not too much feathers being pulled. A hawk would be more aggressive and usually show some fallen feathers and haws usually take their prey elsewhere to eat- somewhere private.

I hope that helps.

And sorry again for your loss.

 

[nuthatched]

I'd say it's a hawk and something wandered along and scavenged the rest. I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[JustAChickenLoverOverHere]

I'd also agree with everyone else on the hawk, given that description.
I'm sorry for your loss

@sourland, you have expertise on predators, can you give your opinion?

 

[SquishyBerri]

Thank you! I was thinking a hawk too because I couldn't find anything else but the feathers. I'll have to hang some CDs up!

 

[sourland]

A Faverolles hen is too large for a hawk to carry away. It would have to eat it somewhere near where it was killed. I'd be inclined to think that it was a snatch and run predator like a coyote, fox, or bobcat. Bottom line is be careful with your flock as it will return. Good luck.

 

[wat_da_cluck]

No way was this a hawk. They defeather your chickens, eat a few organs, and leave a huge carcass. It could be a hawk plus racoon, or hawk plus fox. But a hawk leaves its kill, a 4 lb bird cannot fly away with a 4 lb chicken. I doubt the cat. They wont eat a whole chicken. My vote is raccoon, fisher cat, fox - only ones that leave little trace.