What killed my chook?

[Feathered friends]

I just found a pile of feathers,no body at all,only feathers.So many I know chook been attacked.Also numbers are down by one.I am in Tasmania,so no foxes here.It was daylight,around 3pm.We do get Hawks.Next doors dog was also in chook area.She comes over now and then,but never touches chooks.Woukd a hawk hunt at 3pm?Im thinking maybe the dog has decided to suddenly like chook.No blood,no body.I thought a dog would only just have a munch.So I'm thinking more a hawk.Who knows.Neighbours are going to tie dog up,so then I can see if anymore go missing.If so,will lock up till hawk leaves.Any suggestions as to whether you think it was the dog or a hawk?

 

[Nats Chickens]

Hello fellow Aussie!! could it have been a Quoll, Dingo, Tassie Devil, or...the Tasmanian Tiger!? [] Sorry about the loss of your girl [] How many chooks do you have?

 

[Feathered friends]

Hi,no dingos here and the quolls and tassie devils hunt at night.To me it was either the dog or a hawk.But usually hawks here hunt in morning and around 4 pm.I just thought if it was the dog,there would be some of the chook left.My chook area is around 2 acres,so maybe I haven't found her.Was nothing left at all,only feathers and a small bit of intestine I think.I guess if dog gets tied up and I have more attacks,then it must be a hawk.Thanks for your answer fellow Aussie.I now have 12 hens.I don't have roosters as been there and done that.Dont want any babies lol.Plus I have two girl geese,two boy ducks and a male peacock who flew in and decided to stay lol

 

[HuskerHens18]

In my experience with dogs, the dogs eat every last bit. So my vote is for the dog. The hawk would leave a mess of bones and such I believe.

 

[Feathered friends]

Ok,I am thinking more the dog as well.The dog has been over here so many times and touched nothing,usually when dog is here the chooks aren't scared.When I went over dog was still there and chooks hiding.Owner going to make sure dog is locked up.I have fences,but dog digs under.Will soon see if it's a hawk.To me it was too early in the afternoon for a hawk.Usualky here the hawk takes off with chook into the sky.Thanks for your reply

 

[Nats Chickens]

Dog then, I guess.

 

[Feathered friends]

Yeahlooks that way,funny though as she has been visiting here for a couple of months.I will still keep an eye out for hawks though

 

[Nats Chickens]

 

[chickengeorgeto]

My experience with K9 chicken killers is that the attacks are not hunger driven but grow out of boredom. Typically a dog will become excited especially if the chicken tries to flee and the doog just can't stand it and this triggers the predatory responce in the dog.

The dog will often use and abuse the chicken treating it like a squeaky toy. This is very hard on the poor chicken but there is usually a much abused chicken corpse left in the wake of a dog attack.

I am unfamiliar with Australia's birds of prey and you made no mention about the size or the age of the missing chicken. Typically in North America a hawk will start denuding a chicken and then begin feeding while the chicken is still alive. Often there are several doughnut shaped piles of feathers where the chicken in it's death agony tried to escape its fate but the hawk held on and just kept on eating. A hawks talons are not designed to kill efficiently but they do lock onto prey very well, and where ever the prey goes the hawk is sure to follow.

 

[Soy Milano]

There is a poultry predator tool which is helpful for identifying what animal could have killed your birds - http://www.poultrydvm.com/predator-identifier.php