headless hen (a little graphic)

[flip9109]

I found on of my japanese blacktail hens laying on the ground with her chest torn open and her head pulled off which i found about 25 ft away with a pile of feathers.
My yard has a 6ft privacy fence around it with No holes on the bottom so nothing can walk crawl or dig in. So it had to be a cat or a hawk right? My first thought was hawk untill i found the head so far away. my experiance with hawks says they grab and go. but there is nowhere for a cat to ambush near where the attack took place. I cant figure out what it was. What do you folks think?

 

[suenrob]

Wow!!! Thats aweful Flip. Sorry for your loss. I don't have any idea what might have happened, just wanted to give my condolances and to welcome you to BYC. Hope it dosen't happen again!!!!

 

[crazychickens]

I had a great horned owl, rip the heads of a few of mine.

 

[ibpboo]

Maybe something like a weasel or something?

 

[russell]

its sounds like a hawk to me. I had a really bad time with them last spring. what you describe is also what i found.

 

[flip9109]

I've seen owls do it to pheasants at night. but I've never heard of it in mid-day.

no weasels no way for it to get in. whatever it was had to be able jump 6ft of fly

 

[lacyloo]

:aww im sorry about your hen

 

[SpottedCrow]

Defeathered and headless is a bird of prey...I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[FLchook]

Can a weasel climb?? Just a thought.... Could have been opposum or coon? Not sure where you live, so you might not even have those creatures.

I just had something break a hole into the side of my coop last night, and found something like you described. The hole was about 4 foot off the ground too! It seems to me that predators can do some amazing stunts to get to our feathered friends.

Im so sorry for your loss, its always so tough.

Shannon

 

[flip9109]

I'm leaning your way Spottedcrow. I've just never seen one stick around to eat in confined area. I had similar evidance from cat attacks but they were always near a bush or somthing they can hide in an wait for the right time to pounce. This was out in the open a few feet from the fence.

(those paticular kitties are no longer a threat)