Hen with head ripped off and 10 ft. away...what predator??

[Cetawin]

sounds like a raccoon. They will climb, dig and reach through chicken wire. Poot hens.

 

[hobomom]

It was probably an owl. They will tear the head off & will often eat the crop area leaving the body if the bird it killed is too large to carry away. Our neighbor recently lost his Peking duck to an owl attack in the early morning hours about a month ago. And he wasn't a small duck. We also have another friend who has some hens that like to roost in the tree that is growing in the (completely) enclosed area he keeps them in. Since the hens were up near the top of the pen the owl was able to reach through the netting to grab the hen, tear the head off the poor unsuspecting gal whose headless body would then be discovered in the morning.

Sorry about the loss of your hen

 

[HillCountryMomma]

Thanks for the tip on the owls. I'd never really thought about the possibility of an owl getting my birds. I've seen several owls out around my property at dusk, though none recently.

That's a real bummer. Coons I can take care of, but I wouldn't shoot an owl even if it was legal. Just couldn't bring myself to do it.

I guess the girls are gonna have to come to terms with nightly lock downs.

We're going to the lake this weekend, and I'm going to have to get a friend to farm sit. How do you bribe friends into playing the nightly chicken round up game to get the reluctant birds into a coop? I get frustrated enough doing it, and they're my birds!!

Liz

 

[LizS_CT]

My DH actually thought it was a weasel --he said he confronted the critter hiding in one of the nesting boxes, but couldn't totally see it in the dim morning light. I don't think a fox would be able to fit. He couldn't bring himself to clock it over the head. I am soooo bummed!I'm going to take a break & build a proper run.

 

[seriousbill]

Quote:
Don't know what your coop is like, but raccoons will frequently reach through wire, grab a hen's head, and pull it off. If a raccoon actually gets into your coop, it'll usually kill multiple birds and eat the heads and crops. If a mink or weasel gets in, it'll usually eat heads and the backs of necks.

Totally agree. Very well described.