Name this predator....

[derby]

The victim: A full-grown wyandotte.

The scene: The backyard in the middle of the lawn.

Method: No blood, no feathers missing. Seems to be a broken neck. Body left behind unmarred.

Possible suspects: Raccoons, foxes, coyotes, outdoor domesticated cats. An occassional stray dog comes through, but one hasn't been seen in close to 2 years.

 

[Cetawin]

Broken neck but no wounds?

I would say Hawk...but there should be talon marks...a hawk could have hit her, missed the hold and merely broken the hen's neck. the other animals would leave blood, feathers or no body.

There is my opinion

 

[WalkingWolf]

Sounds like a playful puppy if her neck was broken and no other injuries.

 

[wohneli]

Do you have a Roo? Could he have run off the predator after the initial attack?

 

[kingmt]

It was the butler in the kitchen with the candle stick holder.

I would say a dog that just wanted to play with it.

 

[derby]

No roo. But my largest cat is acting funny - similar to the way he acted the last time he got into a cat fight. At first I suspected him, but he never has shown any interest in attacking or playing with the chickens. He usually keeps away from them.

Derby

 

[deerman]

DOG, kills for the fun of it, in most cases some will eat them, but most just for fun.

 

[ChickenDogDuck]

If it happened sometime between evening and morning, a Great Horned Owl could be a suspect.

 

[derby]

Forgot to put the time down. It was about 2:30 in the afternoon. A hawk tried to get one about a year ago and failed. Maybe it was a hawk. I didn't examine it closely enough to see talon marks - especially if the feathers fluffed up over the marks.

 

[Judy]

Have you looked at this?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=18670