What killed my chicken?

[mrsjoc]

I know it's hard to answer without knowing the area or seeing tracks I guess, but the killing happened sometime this morning (after 7 and before 1). The head was taken and the body was left behind. What sort of animal hunts durning the day and takes the head? Thanks for your answers.

 

[SAORSA]

I have only seen that once. In my case it was a Chicken Hawk. They are especially fond of chicks.
I still don't know what they do with the heads.

A "Chicken Hawk" could be any one of the following, Cooper's Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk and the Red-tailed Hawk.
Usually a Red-tailed Hawk will eat most of the kill on site.

My two cents.

 

[bobbi-j]

Great horned owls will do the same thing.

 

[chickM4st3r(AL)]

its probably a dog cuz it didnt eat it just (played) the tak a trophy home at times

 

[Rammy]

Could of been a raccoon. There is a post on here about what can kill your birds and the signs of what it could possibly be. It stated that raccoons will do what you wrote. I had something kill three of my hens last week but I think it was a fox.

Rammy

 

[rigagirl]

Weasels also kill that way, they just got my 6 chicks on monday that were almost 2 months old