Maybe an Owl Attack? *Warning: Graphic*

[britchick123]

A good rooster is hard to replace. Its saved my chickens a couple times.
I have to replace him cause he is a "manfighter" and he jumped on my 2.5 year old.
There will be a transition time when the young rooster will have to learn to protect his girls.
That will be a dangerous time for my flock.

oh no, i hope your little one is okay! it's scary being attacked by a rooster as is, i can't imagine being attacked as a kid. i hope everything works out for you !!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

if this pic isn't okay to be posted , please let me know!!! it is a bit graphic.

thank you!! View attachment 1186786

Definitely a raptor of some sort. Notice how only the more meaty parts of the chicken is consumed. Predators with teeth and fangs chew up and swallow every part of the chicken.

 

[dmanhefner]

That's not an owl or hawk imo. Hawks standard mo is to drag it to cover and remove feathers, it Looks like a feather bomb goes off when it's a hawk. Owls don't pluck but they eat head and neck first. Owls will usually come back to eat it again the next night.
Yours really looks like a 4 legged victim, most of the ones that do eat them usually eat the stomach and innards.

 

[britchick123]

That's not an owl or hawk imo. Hawks standard mo is to drag it to cover and remove feathers, it Looks like a feather bomb goes off when it's a hawk. Owls don't pluck but they eat head and neck first. Owls will usually come back to eat it again the next night.
Yours really looks like a 4 legged victim, most of the ones that do eat them usually eat the stomach and innards.

Interesting, we didn't think it could be something other than a bird. The attack happened in the caged in area, so there's definitely a chance a coyote could've climbed the fence. Whatever it was got scared off and ran off when my dad pulled up in the drive way.

It was early in the afternoon, and he does live in the woods. You think it could've been a coyote??

 

[britchick123]

That's not an owl or hawk imo. Hawks standard mo is to drag it to cover and remove feathers, it Looks like a feather bomb goes off when it's a hawk. Owls don't pluck but they eat head and neck first. Owls will usually come back to eat it again the next night.
Yours really looks like a 4 legged victim, most of the ones that do eat them usually eat the stomach and innards.

Actually. maybe even a squirrel or raccoon??

 

[dmanhefner]

If you have an open top pen it could be possum, racoon, cat, etc.

 

[Sublight]

oh no, i hope your little one is okay! it's scary being attacked by a rooster as is, i can't imagine being attacked as a kid. i hope everything works out for you !!

Its nothing a little salt and pepper cant fix.