What is getting my girls? Warning: Graphic photo

[babsterh]

This is my second attack with the same kind of injury. We have seen an eagle perching last week...with it being winter the girls have little tree coverage. Could it be the eagle or something else? Many thanks for any input

 

[birdmanmax]

To me it looks like an avian predator, eating the head, neck, leaving the rest is very characteristic of hawks,owls, and I would also imagine eagles.

Just a few questions though

What time of day did the attacks occur?
Are your birds free raged or in a secure coop(or other setup)?
Was the bird moved from the kill zone?
A lot of feathers or just a few?

 

[babsterh]

Hi Birdman, thanks you for getting back to me. To answer your questions:

-the attack happened about 3:30pm
-the girls are free ranged, but the first kill was in the far end of our run which is covered. The run door was open and the hen was eating out of the feeder when the first attack happened with similar injuries.
-I did move the bird from the kill zone, I moved her so that you could get a clear idea of her injuries.
-There weren't that many feathers from either bird.

What's a mystery to me is the first bird was in thefar end of the run with only an open door for access. The other bird was in the open. I'm keeping the girls in their run now. They do have a lot of room in their run but we'd sure like them to free range as I'm sure they would too. However, I don't want to chance loosing another one. We would just like to know what's getting them. I have a trap set in which I have previously caught raccoons, opposums and a fox. I think you're right though, yesterday's attack seems as if it was from the air. The kill in the run is the one that doesn't make sense to me.

 

[aart]

BOP will walk after prey to kill.

 

[birdmanmax]

Hmmm well it could have been two separate predators but highly unlikely if the wounds were the same my best guess at this point is either a really bold hawk or a dog. At that time of day I'm asuming it's still very bright out a raccoon,fox,or coyote, would most lickely not attack unless it was an overcast very dark gloomy day.

 

[babsterh]

I had no idea! Thanks so much!

 

[babsterh]

Thanks again birdman! I'm betting on a bold hawk....we had to put netting up to keep hakws at bay last year. This was right beside our front door.

 

[birdmanmax]

No problem.

 

[JackAubrey]

I had a chicken killed the exact same way. It was early afternoon, and the flock free ranges. I saw a Cooper's hawk in the area, so I suspect that is the culprit/ The other chickens ran into the coop and would not come out even for feed. They actually acted like they were telling me it was an air assault.

 

[pnwoldie]

Same here -- first time the hawk walked into the covered run and trapped a hen behind the gate. Second time it tore netting to get into the covered run and then couldn't get out -- caught red handed (tailed?) so to speak. This link is to a youtube playlist with 4 videosl