What eats chicken heads

[Wilson Chickens]

I found one of my pullets dead two days ago with just her head eaten and her left wing was a few inches from her body. I'm not sure what killed her since my other 3 pullets weren't hurt at all and the pullet that was killed her body was found outside in the run not in the coop.

 

[jhamblin]

Owl

 

[centrarchid]

Somebody in a hurry and small. Owl would be a first guess although hawks sometimes do same. A red fox trying to make multiple kills in same visit will sometimes decapitate each bird rapidly in turn then come back and pickup carcasses after killing spree completed.

 

[mohawkbrian]

birds of prey never eat heads however everyone seems to think so. They are firstly physicaly unable to fit it in their mouth ans secondly unable to digest. An owl would know this and wouldnt bother trying to eat the head however foxes kill be decapitation and would be happy to eat the head

 

[Eggcessive]

Raccoons and weasels.

 

[mohawkbrian]

no. They both kill by biting the back of the neck and severing the spinal cord. They will then proceed to eat the breast area and will leave the head neck and other bony bits

 

[ChloeLuvsChicke]

There is a 95% chance it's a owl! the wing is what the owl wouldn't do, the owl takes the and leaves the body , if the owl was eating it there it would prob take its wing on to finish it and keep it from slapping him, and I have no idea that you coop is like if it's open to where a cat could get in its a cat. It's not likely to be a cat but it could.


Hope you can fix the problem!



~Chloe

 

[roostersandhens]

This is an old thread..

 

[spuddy98]

I to know this is an old thread but searchable threads on the internet are not about two people conversing. They are about people with similar issues being able to learn solutions or answers regardless of how old the thread is.

IMHO the culprit would be a opossum. I had one take about 6 chickens in my coop/barn before I caught and destroyed him. I was told the possum like to take the head off and drink the blood. quick meal not a lot of work.

 

[marktoo]

Andrew Zimmerman!

I've never actually seen him eat one but he'll eat just about anything it seems.