it finally happened to me

[janjan1]

After reading everyone's postings about losing their chickens, I couldn't really relate. Well now I can. Lost one of my first hens, naturally one of my favorites. It was a huge EE. I found the feathers this morning but nothing else. But while looking around I found the remains of her body. Her head was gone and her breast was ripped open, eaten on one side and all internal organs were missing also. I assume it was a coyote. Anyone else have this type of killing happen?
Thanks
Jan

 

[rcentner]

I am sorry you had to join the club. I joined the club this past spring. Keep the rest under tight watch, whatever it was will be back for more.

 

[BigSkyChickens]

Sorry you lost a chicken.

I'm no expert, but I've heard racoons tend to eat the head and leave the body.

I didn't sleep well at all last night, because I saw a big ol' racoon hanging around as I was locking up my 2 coops of chickens. I didn't even see it at first - the little girls alerted me to it's presence with their unusual twittering (Big girls reacted by being completely quiet and still).

I tried to scare it away by smacking the shovel on the ground and throwing rocks at it, but it was very slow to wander off.

 

[tomcatbubba]

If it was slow to wander off it may have been sick. You probably should have killed it.

 

[MysticScorpio82]

I am so sorry for your loss!

I don't think coyote, because it would have eaten nearly all of it. I would lean more towards a raccoon. Raccoons can be vicious; last year one killed a BYC member's cat and disemboweled it.

** According to the sticky at the top "identifying predators" it says "

"When you find a bird dead ... with its head and crop missing, your visitor was a raccoon. If the head and back of the neck are missing, suspect a weasel or mink. If the head and neck are missing, and feathers are scattered near a fence post, the likely perp is a great horned owl" **

 

[DragonEggs]

It's always the chicken that happens to be my favorite or the one I get particularly attached to that dies. Happened again today. We were starting to get close, she came inside a lot, but was the smallest and most picked on. She got pecked in the eye and got an eye infection. I had been treating it but after the rains finished we got SWARMS of bugs and they went directly for her. She was dead before I made it back from the feed store with the bug dust.

 

[tinychicky]

oh that's really sad, i'm so sorry!

i have never lost a chicken to a predator, although on of my bantam hens was almost taken by a northern goshawk, one of a pair that has taken up residence in our yard. i was standing about a yard away when the hawk swooped down. i think it may have hesitated when it saw me and that's why it missed her. it was close enough to leave wing prints in the mid-winter snow right over where the hen, the very smallest of the flock, had been standing in it. i grabbed the banty and ran back to the barn- i think i was more scared than the chicken was! if it makes you feel better, give another chicken a hug- it was the best remedy for me when my hen bumble died, quite suddenly, at only a year old. good luck and i hope you can find a worthy substitute for your favorite hen!