what killed my chicken during the day?

[gretchen3212]

I went out to the coop to close up about 4:30 pm and found one of my bantam roosters completely defeathered except his wings hollowed out and his head and neck missing I have the pen enclosed with 6 1/2 foot tall chicken wire that dropped into the ground 1 ft. And has a gravel border around it. So whatever killed him either got in from the top or pulled his head through the wire....
also I could not find the feathers lying on the ground anywhere....which is something new in my experience.
What might the predator be?

 

[bobbi-j]

If your run is not covered, it could be a few things. A hawk will come into your pen, as could a raccoon. Weasels will eat the head and neck... It's really hard to say what it could have been.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I went out to the coop to close up about 4:30 pm and found one of my bantam roosters completely defeathered except his wings hollowed out and his head and neck missing I have the pen enclosed with 6 1/2 foot tall chicken wire that dropped into the ground 1 ft. And has a gravel border around it. So whatever killed him either got in from the top or pulled his head through the wire....
also I could not find the feathers lying on the ground anywhere....which is something new in my experience.
What might the predator be?

This sounds like a typical hawk attach. Please explain were the feathers went.

 

[maxsgoldens]

When hawks attack they kill their prey, pluck it than eat it on the spot. If it was disturbed it would have flown off, which is the reason the bodies are still there