What kind of animal has killed my hens?

[aart]

He said the most recent one, the whole neck was stripped. The previous one was a bite on the top, on the shoulder but it did not look like anything was eaten.

Sounds like a bird of prey, most likely hawk.

 

[PattyNH]

So here's where it happened and I take it back about the feathers, there were some.

View attachment 1621204



Other picture shows the outside coop areas. You'll also see the enclosed small section of each coop.

View attachment 1621205

I am so sorry for your loss!

Based on the photo of the feathers I would say it was a raptor - hawk or the like. Perhaps your husband or other animals scared it off its kill.

 

[sourland]

Ah, you're right! It is 6' feet high! The feathers you see are outside the enclosed area but inside the other part of the chicken run that does not have a top over it. It's the bottom picture.

Scattered feathers around the kill site, neck stripped of meat down to the vertebrae - raptor, and sadly enough it will return tomorrow.

 

[50-45-1]

Sorry for the loss of your birds!
I know how you feel as while i was encountering different preditors for the first time i would fix and update my run and coop. all would be good for a while and along would come another chicken eating critter who found a different flaw or opening to get thru.
It is a constant never ending battle to protect my birds.
Hawks are migrating right now, and my first guess would be hawk. It happened during the day, the injuries were around the head and neck, inside the uncovered part of your run.
I see you have 3 foot hardware cloth around your run. Does it extend down in the ground to stop diggers?
The gate area looks like it weak and will allow access. Gaps under and sides of gate. If something gets thru the gate of the uncovered run , can it also get thru the next area, covered run or coop? Racoons will climb that fence.
Not sure where you are located, but a weasel can get thru a hole the size of a quarter, and are killing machines. Mostly they are nightime hunters.
I would sugest you purchase a couple trail cameras and set them up to see what is lurking out there. You may be supprised.
I wish you luck! And a quick recovery from your surgery!

 

[centrarchid]

Very strongly raptor sign. If raptor, then not a Great-horned Owl as the owl usually consumes body feathers with meat. Was it windy when birds killed? Feathers spread around in clumps. Hawk could have had trouble dispatching chicken resulting in a lot of rolling around to give feather distribution pattern beyond the feather explosion around where most of feathers were evident.

If timing of kills not right (as in at night), then a raccoon could have done it as they roll a prey item around a lot. Generally, raccoons do not target neck so closely without gnawing through bone. But, I have seen raccoons strip meat of before in a manner that looked like hawk. The biggest sign of coon besides pictures of it eating bird, was appearance of feathers resulting from extensive gnawing and flinging of feather clumps with mouth. The raccoon also tends to roll carcass about for some reason.

 

[Carchick]

Thanks everyone so much for your help, and i've come to the conclusion, it must be a hawk. My indoor/outdoor cat is white with blue eyes and I have looked all over him for blood. We live in Missouri, so it's very unlikely it's a weasel, which leaves the cat and a hawk. Either way, it is the whole run now will be enclosed. Here is a picture of our beautiful brahma Ellie.

 

[Grits&Eggs]

sorry for your loss! such a pretty bird!
Maybe you can cover the open top with hawk netting?

 

[MissChick@dee]

So sorry she was beautiful
And yes the hawk netting or even chicken wire will keep raptors out. You have a beautiful setup. Lots of area for your birds. So sorry a predator found where your at. Once they do you just have to switch up whatever you’re doing to protect them.
I’ve had mine locked up for 8 days (only out while I’m there) because this bird has found where we live. It sucks!!! Best wishes

 

[centrarchid]

You do have weasels, I do and live in Missouri as well.

 

[Carchick]

I heard that people who live in northern Missouri can have weasels. I hope it's not them, it would be a lot harder to keep them out then the hawks. I could have sworn when I opened up the back door that I heard some really strange crying noises that I didn't recognize. I played a video of hawks and bald eagles since they have a nest within a mile and a half. Hopefully this weekendy my husband can look up in the trees for those birds!