What Killed My Silkies?

[woodguy]

I live adjacent to my in-law's farm and my Silkies love to play and feed in between the soy bean rows....only 2-3 rows from the edge which is directly next to my lawn and also heavily shaded by 4 huge Mimosa trees. Yesterday in the middle of the day sometime...probably sometime between noon and 3 or 4 o'clock two of my four 2 month old Silkies were destroyed. Right at the edge of my lawn were found 2 completely round feather debris piles around 30" around. One had one small part of a leg left and a couple bones in the center and about 20-30 feet away was another circle of feathers but not quite as thick. In the second pile was pretty much the whole bird lying dead. Also free ranging with these Silkies were 12 other full size chickens...ie RIR, Leghorns etc. Eight of these other birds are roosters. What could possibly have done this in the middle of a hot and sunny day? I was thinking maybe a hawk or some other bird of prey due to the pattern of the feathers left. I let the larger birds out today and none of them would go near the scene of the crime. I left my other 2 Silkies stay in today.

 

[1_FnkyFrm]

Im guessing hawk...

 

[Matt A NC]

Hawk or other bird of prey is right. They will be back.

AND they will take the girls first. At least that is what happens here.

Matt