What ate my chicken during the day?

[indiehomestead]

I've been looking on all sorts of sites and forums to try and guess what ate my chicken yesterday.

It was in the middle of the day, in the front yard, close to the house. I was home so I'm bummed I didn't catch it.
She was a Millie Del Fleur and I found her along the neighbors fence line when she didn't come into the coop last night. Whatever killed her left the body. The head was in tact, but the entire neck down to her breast was munched quite a bit.
The neighbors think it was one of our cats, which is possible because this Millie was small, but now I'm scared to let the ladies out to free range. This only leaves me with 4! Our neighbors lost a chick and had a large hen injured shortly after we moved in and suspected our cat at that time. It's possible because one of our cats is kind of a jerk and I could maaaybe see him doing it, but at the same time, we've had chickens for as long as we've had him and although he's always had an interest in our chicks, he hangs out with the adult chickens most days and has never stalked one or looked twice at them...even the small Millie's and Silkies.

Has this happened to anyone else? I honestly don't know what else it could be. Some friends say a bobcat, but it would have had to come pretty close to the house and we do have dogs. They weren't outside at the time, but their scent is every where. We live in the country in NC.

Thanks!!

 

[sourland]

It may have been your cat, but there is a very strong possibility that it was a hawk. A bobcat would have killed and then taken the hen away.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I am always amused when I read about someone using or recommending decoys and scents to discourage unwelcomed wild life. In the real world decoys and scents are most often used to attract wildlife predators, not to repel them. Wild animals that prey on other animals must have guile and cunning to eat. They are immersed in a sea of competing odors every day. The presence of some suspicious aroma only makes them try harder to kill your chickens without being seen.

 

[indiehomestead]

I am always amused when I read about someone using or recommending decoys and scents to discourage unwelcomed wild life. In the real world decoys and scents are most often used to attract wildlife predators, not to repel them. Wild animals that prey on other animals must have guile and cunning to eat. They are immersed in a sea of competing odors every day. The presence of some suspicious aroma only makes them try harder to kill your chickens without being seen.

chickengeorgeto-

So that was pretty unhelpful. I was simply stating that I have dogs and didn't know if that would deter them since MANY people use dogs to protect their animals. Sorry I don't know enough about "scents." I don't hunt and don't want to so it's not my thing. I'm more interested in knowing what killed my chicken.
Glad I could amuse you though.

 

[rtho88]

I am always amused when I read about someone using or recommending decoys and scents to discourage unwelcomed wild life.  In the real world decoys and scents are most often used to attract wildlife predators, not to repel them.  Wild animals that prey on other animals must have guile and cunning to eat.  They are immersed in a sea of competing odors every day.  The presence of some suspicious aroma only makes them try harder to kill your chickens without being seen.    

I'm pretty sure your dead wrong. Decoys and scents can be used either to attract or repeal, depends on what the decoy is and what your trying to do.

Sorry for your loss man. I'm in the middle of replacing a flock that I lost to a dog attack about a month ago.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I'm pretty sure your dead wrong. Decoys and scents can be used either to attract or repeal, depends on what the decoy is and what your trying to do....

I'll only post the link, I don't want to clutter up the page with ready to run videos. If any of you are curious about whether or not decoys will attract or repel predators click on these links to set you mind at ease.