Predator identification help

[Snowwing]

Recently I had an attack that killed my chicken. I do not have pictures but here I will list the things I saw- I need help IDing the predator.

- Killed between 2:00 am - 4:00 am at night.
- She was dragged off to the side of the run
- there were a lot of feathers everywhere within 4 feet of her body
- Legs, Wings and other meaty parts are intact
- Head was missing (eaten?)
- Her back looked like it was ripped off and her entrails were eaten. Every internal organ was missing (presumably eaten) except for her ovaries. (There was still a fully formed yolk inside her when I found her.)
- A small (2 inches maybe) chunk of her intestines were outside of her body

I’m thinking maybe a raccoon or owl?

 

[CluckerFamily]

I am so sorry.
My first thought was also raccoon.

 

[cmom]

Likely an owl but could have been most anything. If you have a camera, put it up and you may be surprised at the predators that roam at night. I was. Most likely they have been lurking looking for an opportunity. I have several up around on my property and most nights I see predators. Whatever it was will likely be back. I love my cameras. Good luck...

 

[Mosey2003]

I would lean towards owl as well. I've seen quite a few raccoon kills and I haven't seen one eat anything besides the head and sometimes neck. Definitely never seen one eviscerated and eaten out.

 

[Snowwing]

Likely an owl but could have been most anything. If you have a camera, put it up and you may be surprised at the predators that roam at night. I was. Most likely they have been lurking looking for an opportunity. I have several up around on my property and most nights I see predators. Whatever it was will likely be back. I love my cameras. Good luck...

Might it help to know that we live in a subdivision and that we have a 6 foot wooden fenced yard? There were no digging marks or foot prints anywhere (it was drizzling the night of).

 

[RosemaryDuck]

I vote owl as well. Bird of prey kills are easy to spot because of the explosion of feathers around the body that they leave. They often attack fast, and very hard. They will eat the head & neck, as well as the abdomen.

 

[Isadora]

I'm very sorry about your chicken.
I was thinking raccoon until I read further. I agree that it is probably an owl.

 

[cmom]

I had an owl kill some birds. I couldn't figure it out until I put a game camera up and there it was. There was no breaches anywhere that I could find.

 

[Snowwing]

I had an owl kill some birds. I couldn't figure it out until I put a game camera up and there it was. There was no breaches anywhere that I could find.

Did the Owls leave the same M.O (killing pattern) as what happened to my bird? (Head taken off, internal organs eaten?)

 

[Blue Raptor]

Recently I had an attack that killed my chicken. I do not have pictures but here I will list the things I saw- I need help IDing the predator.

- Killed between 2:00 am - 4:00 am at night.
- She was dragged off to the side of the run
- there were a lot of feathers everywhere within 4 feet of her body
- Legs, Wings and other meaty parts are intact
- Head was missing (eaten?)
- Her back looked like it was ripped off and her entrails were eaten. Every internal organ was missing (presumably eaten) except for her ovaries. (There was still a fully formed yolk inside her when I found her.)
- A small (2 inches maybe) chunk of her intestines were outside of her body

I’m thinking maybe a raccoon or owl?

Raccoon.