missing head. stray cat?

[JenBoughtHens]

Just missing head. Still missing.
My first death, and it was my favorite chicken. A 2 month old mottled cochin. Male..I think? Pretty sure.
my son ran in the house crying. My dog brought the body back. I really don't think she did this. She was proud of herself for retrieving what she could.
I have seen two different cats.
I dont have cats.
Thoughts?

 

[theoldchick]

Raccoons are known to reach through wire and take what they can get-such as the head. So sorry you lost your pet in such a manner. You have to use hardware cloth to prevent this type of death.

A stray cat would have most likely dragged off the carcass it at all possible. While a cat could reach through the wire and slap at a chicken, they usually lack the motivation to reach through the wire with both paws to get prey. They much prefer the pounce and run technique.

 

[Kim Z]

A mink could do this as well. They are known to take heads off. So sorry for your loss. We lost 4 guineas in one night last fall due to one if these attacks. Heartbreaking.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Not all predators read the book and act like they are supposed to, but the ones I’d more associate a missing head with are hawks, owls, bobcats, and members of the weasel family, like mink. There are others that will normally attack the head first, but they usually eat other areas first.

Weasels normally kill several members of the flock in one attack, but that’s in the coop where they are bunched together. If the chickens was out ranging, a weasel may only take one. A bobcat normally eats the head first, but will often eat more and usually will try to carry the body off or bury it so it can come back to finish it. I hawk or owl will normally tear the head off first.

It’s probably not a domestic cat. They certainly could kill and eat a 2 month old chick, but usually they eat the meaty parts, not just the head.

I don’t think it’s your dog either, not with just the head missing. That does not sound like a dog.

Normally I’d suggest you look for tracks or poop to help identify it. Each can be distinct, but from what you described I doubt you’ll find any. Something else you can look for is marks on the carcass. An owl or hawk will normally puncture the body with its talons. A bobcat may leave claw marks.

I’m sorry you are going through this. It’s always rough when you lose one and worse when it’s through violence.