What killed my hen???

[a1doll]

Today my son came home from school to find his favorite hen "Freindly" dead in the back yard. Our house is in the middle of a old farmfield without a lot of cover. The coop is very secure and inside a 6 x 15 ft. dog kennel with lattice over the top (for security) of it and around it covering the chain link (for curb appeal!). Friendly would wonder from the coop, over the 300 ft. trip, to the patio every day. She would even go to the front yard and sit on our porch! The other 10 hens and 1 rooster stay pretty close to the coop. Friendly was about 25 feet from the back of our house and her side torn open and insides eaten. feathers were all over to. Her head and neck were in tact. We do have Hawks so just wondering if anyone has any experience with this, we don't know what got her and are trying to figure it out. We don't know if we should let the chickens free range anymore while we are not home. Please help!

 

[M.sue]

Hawk possibly. We never let ours free range when we're not home.

 

[TinyTotsSeramas]

sounds like a Hawk.. She was probably too large for it to carry off so it fed off her at the kill site.
Did you check the body for puncture holes? Talons can to alot of damage.

 

[rancher hicks]

I am sorry for your loss.

Rancher

 

[darin367]

does not sound like a hawk...sides torn open, and insides eaten, feathers everywhere..... you've got some other culprit around there.... dog, weasel etc......

 

[MEchickenfarmer33]

Quote:
i agree. doesnt sound to me like a hawk attack

 

[CMV]

Hawks will generally go after the neck and breast areas first. It could be a hawk with an unusual method of operation, or a juvie that hasn't figured out the choicest bits yet. The fact she was killed in the spot where she was eaten rules out your larger predators that would have carried her away to eat her- fox, coyote, bobcat. That leaves raccoons, possums, fishers (which may or may not have carried her away), weasels, skunks (which are pretty lazy and may already be in hibernation depending on where you are at). Feral animals (dogs and cats) are always a possibility, too. You would know that the feral animals are around, though, and since you didn't mention them I assume they aren't.

Whatever killed her will be back tomorrow, so if you keep an eye out you will likely figure out what your culprit is when it returns to the scene of the kill. Lock up the remainder of your flock or you may lose some more birds.

I am sorry for your loss. I'm very sorry for your son's loss. It's always tough to lose a favorite.

Good luck.

 

[littleoak]

This is usually the work of a possom. It will be back every day until you get it. They always seem to come around the same time each day.

 

[a1doll]

thank you all for the input! I tend to think it was a opossum based on what I have read on the web. We had another hen killed on Halloween the same way except her neck was also chewed up. Friendlys neck was in tact. Aren't opossum nacturnal though??? That is throwing me off. We do have Hawks to, one flying over earlier today. Friendly was attacked by a Hawk once before but I was home and saved her. Very strange how this happened. I really need to figure this out so other chickies are safe.

 

[deserthotwings]

Whatever it was that got Friendly will be back. Best bet to keep your flock safe is to keep them in the pen. A lot of critters (wild and domestic) get mighty hungry when it starts getting cold and free rangeing birds of any type are easy pickens. Sorry bout Friendly and Good Luck Amigo..