Owl?

[savvychickz]

One of my light brahmas got killed awhile ago and we never found out who the culprit was. I wasn’t there but my mom was and she heard so much commotion going on, our chickens were all over the place and our barred rock rooster was trapped inside a corn crib, so he couldn’t even get to her to even try and save her. After rounding all the chickens up and putting them back in their coop she went looking for the missing one which she adventually found behind our barns. We basically live in the middle of nowhere and there’s a lot of creatures probably lurking around that we don’t even know of. My mom told me that she found our hen head detached from her body but both her body and head were close to eachother. Her feathers were everywhere, the weird thing was that her eyes were completely gone like the predator killed her just for her eyes, it never touched any other part of her body unless it was going to but got spooked away but you’d thing it would’ve dragged it away? I only bring this up because I let my chick outside (I was right there supervising it) and I see shadows on the ground and I look up and see what it looked like to be two owls circling me and my chick, if I wasn’t there something bad probably would’ve taken place. I’m just curious of what might’ve killed my hen.

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

Sounds more like a weasel or raccoon.

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

Then again, hawks and owls do that too. Usually they eat but they were probably interrupted. If during the day I’d say weasel or hawk. Night raccoon or owl.

 

[savvychickz]

Then again, hawks and owls do that too. Usually they eat but they were probably interrupted. If during the day I’d say weasel or hawk. Night raccoon or owl.

It was like in the afternoon, I looked up weasel attacks and they said weasels would’ve just kept killing until no chickens were remaining, if it was a weasel wouldn’t it of went looking for the other hens?

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

It was like in the afternoon, I looked up weasel attacks and they said weasels would’ve just kept killing until no chickens were remaining, if it was a weasel wouldn’t it of went looking for the other hens?

That is a common misconception. They have been known to go on coop sprees but if they didn’t have a litter they wouldn’t cache kills. Cats, foxes, and weasels donit at times but not every time.

 

[savvychickz]

That is a common misconception. They have been known to go on coop sprees but if they didn’t have a litter they wouldn’t cache kills. Cats, foxes, and weasels donit at times but not every time.

That’s interesting, since what I’m researching says owls usually hunt at night I’m guessing it was definitely a hawk then, that’s probably what I saw circling me and my chick a couple days ago. I probably freaked out and thought fast thinking it was an owl as soon as I saw them.

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

That’s interesting, since what I’m researching says owls usually hunt at night I’m guessing it was definitely a hawk then, that’s probably what I saw circling me and my chick a couple days ago. I probably freaked out and thought fast thinking it was an owl as soon as I saw them.

Yeah, a hawk seems the most likely culprit. It’s federally illegal to kill them btw. You can spray them with a hose though and that usually runs them off.

 

[drumstick diva]

See lots of hawks hanging around bird birders. They grab a bird as soon as it tries to eat. Once I saw a little beak and red feathers - that was the end of one Cardinal. I haven't put out any feeders since. Plus which, the birds drop a lot of seed and rodents find that very attractive.

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

See lots of hawks hanging around bird birders. They grab a bird as soon as it tries to eat. Once I saw a little beak and red feathers - that was the end of one Cardinal. I haven't put out any feeders since. Plus which, the birds drop a lot of seed and rodents find that very attractive.

We had a hawk grab a skunk less than 50 feet from out front door. It smelled for days.

 

[ublyhunter]

See lots of hawks hanging around bird birders. They grab a bird as soon as it tries to eat. Once I saw a little beak and red feathers - that was the end of one Cardinal. I haven't put out any feeders since. Plus which, the birds drop a lot of seed and rodents find that very attractive.

It may have been a coopers hawk. They are smaller. A red tail would more then likely take the bird away. A coopers will take the bird on sight and pick at it. It's possible the bird was alarmed and flew away never finishing the job. Sorry for your loss