One chicken killed every day - picture of predator's footprints included. Help identifying?

[zando]

wouldn't be the head missing if it was a hawk? it's just the guts missing, even the legs had the meat still on.

 

[centrarchid]

Many times a hawk will leave head alone and go for breast. Consumption of viscera only by hawk not typical but also not impossible. There are no hard and fast rules about how a predator consumes a chicken, at least not that holds up every time. If no footprints in snow, then culprit either lives in pen or flies.

 

[zazouse]

Do you have armadillos in your area? the first and third photos look like kinda like their tracks and the second photo looks like a rabbit to me

 

[Gallus Sapien]

Many times a hawk will leave head alone and go for breast. Consumption of viscera only by hawk not typical but also not impossible. There are no hard and fast rules about how a predator consumes a chicken, at least not that holds up every time. If no footprints in snow, then culprit either lives in pen or flies.

I agree, however if their was not enough tracking snow it still could be something small like a weasel getting into the run. I say this based on pic 1 and 2. ZANDO do you live near any wet lands?

 

[zando]

yes, we are near natural wet area but - Canadian winters - everything is one big solid block of ice...

 

[chickengeorgeto]

It doesn't matter how much ice you have, there is what looks like a mink track in one of your photos. Sneaky little devils those minks, hungry ones too.

 

[Gallus Sapien]

I just asked because pic 1 almost looks like a muskrat.

 

[grandpaw roo]

About 30yrs ago my wife and I bought and OLD farm house.We put up a small pen that housed 5 chickens.Because the farm was left go,we would hear RATS running on the duct work in the basement at night.Loaded the house with poisen and took care of the ones inside.
One morning all the chickens were dead.All had holes in the top and borrom of the breast and guts were gone.No breast,leg,or head meat eaten.They were able to squeeze thru the chickenwire.A narrow,bloody trail lead from the barn to the coup about 50yds away.The RATS got them and were living under the barn!

 

[centrarchid]

About 30yrs ago my wife and I bought and OLD farm house.We put up a small pen that housed 5 chickens.Because the farm was left go,we would hear RATS running on the duct work in the basement at night.Loaded the house with poisen and took care of the ones inside.
One morning all the chickens were dead.All had holes in the top and borrom of the breast and guts were gone.No breast,leg,or head meat eaten.They were able to squeeze thru the chickenwire.A narrow,bloody trail lead from the barn to the coup about 50yds away.The RATS got them and were living under the barn!

That is a definite possibility that could do just as decribed and appear to not leave tracks outside the pen.

 

[blucoondawg]

We had rats living under the coop and shed where we kept the feed at my dad's place when I was a kid, they weren't around in summer but when the local potato fields were harvested in late summer/fall the rats came in, they never could get in our coop and never got any chickens but they were always after feed. It was very east to tell when they were there as they were in numbers, not just 1 or 2 and their tracks were really easy to make out in snow, they always drug their tails, we would shoot them whenever we had a chance, they would often eat under the wild bird feeder as well.