Help me identify the predator! GRAPHIC

[kalsea]

Live in Colorado Springs. I actively see hawks in the area. Just came out to her warm body like this. Maybe looks like something ate her neck? This is our first non dog predation and I was wondering if my guess of hawk seemed correct. If it looks like a raccoon lmk- but I feel like people usually describe raccoon predation as absolute carnage.

Just want to know how to protect my girls differently going forward, but first I need to identify the predator!

 

[Coliecole0]

From my experience this could be either a racoon,weasles or even a owl that didn't have time to finish eating. This summer I had the same thing happen and I caught a racoon on camera and an owl.

 

[Coliecole0]

From what I gather hawks usually go for things already dead or small enough to fly away with.

 

[MysteryChicken]

From what I gather hawks usually go for things already dead or small enough to fly away with.

Hawks Hunt/kill chickens. Had several close calls with a Red Tailed hawk with my chickens currently. It failed each time.

 

[Coliecole0]

Hawks Hunt/kill chickens. Had several close calls with a Red Tailed hawk with my chickens currently. It failed each time.

Yeah I agree they definitely do kill that's not what I was saying. But I've never seen a hawk only eat the neck. But could definitely happen. I had attacks on my chicken exactly like this over the summer and it was the racoon that was eating their necks and the owl unless busted would eat almost all of it.

 

[lagrange chicks]

Looks like it ate to much to be weasel but could be mink just as nasty as a weasel but bigger.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Yeah I agree they definitely do kill that's not what I was saying. But I've never seen a hawk only eat the neck. But could definitely happen. I had attacks on my chicken exactly like this over the summer and it was the racoon that was eating their necks and the owl unless busted would eat almost all of it.

Well, you said they usually go for things already dead, but that's not necessarily true. If food is scarce over a hard snowy winter, & hunting is a issue birds of prey will scavenge.

 

[CrazyChickenLady123]

Hawks Hunt/kill chickens. Had several close calls with a Red Tailed hawk with my chickens currently. It failed each time.

I will never forget when a hawk grabbed my red old English Game Bantam, that was the loudest I have ever had to scream. Luckily the hawk dropped my baby and he only had little injuries.

 

[SunriseChickers]

Live in Colorado Springs. I actively see hawks in the area. Just came out to her warm body like this. Maybe looks like something ate her neck? This is our first non dog predation and I was wondering if my guess of hawk seemed correct. If it looks like a raccoon lmk- but I feel like people usually describe raccoon predation as absolute carnage.

View attachment 3999355View attachment 3999357Just want to know how to protect my girls differently going forward, but first I need to identify the predator!

We had a mink back in Ohio that would do stuff like this. Kill a chicken and do nothing but skin and maybe eat the neck.

 

[McChooky]

Looks like an owl. ( Great Horned Owl) I don't let my chickens early and put them up before dusk as a precaution.