What predator could have done this

[justplainolstev]

I have been recovering form surgery so my 9 yr old has been taking care of our flock. Due to this I dont know if this happened during Day or night. The head was gone, breasts eaten. Alot of leg meat still there. I want to know what the white streaks are shooting out away from the bird. (look closely you can see them). I dont know if it was guts or something or if it was from the predator. It happend in a uncovered pen.

 

[leliel]

Hi..

That looks a lot like the kind of mess left behind by a raptor.
Many raptors pluck their kill, and eat it where it's killed.

If it was a raptor, the white streaks are almost certainly raptor droppings. They usually have a lot of urea(white runny stuff).
Raptors pretty much exclusively hunt during the day, and frequently return to their kills.

 

[HeatherTheMommy]

Looks like a hawk attack. My dominique was killed by a hawk friday the 1st and it looked similar. Feather plucking is usually a sign of a hawk or raptor. This was my hen when i found her. Hawk came back the next day for 2nds.

 

[HeatherTheMommy]

If this happened the day prior and you didn't find it until the following day it's likely the hawk had 2 days of meals and came back to eat the rest the 2nd day.

 

[justplainolstev]

I had lost another real young one earlier in the year. I narrowed it down to a feral cat or Hawk. It was a real mess and it was in a enclosed area of the pen like an 8x8 area with a tiny brooder. I didnt think a hawk could fly down in such a small area. I assumed it was a cat as the size of the bird was small. Real recently I saw a feral cat stroll through but the chickens werent even alarmed and he didnt attack anything. I guess my initial thought about a hawk not being able to swoop into the small area was wrong.
Thanks for the input especially about the white streaks. I will be getting will be getting some netting to hopefully stop any more attacks.

 

[HeatherTheMommy]

Yes coopers hawks are smaller and can fit in smaller spaces. They will also chase their prey on the ground. A coopers hawk is what got my dominique. My dominique was the smallest hen besides my silkie snd the hawk had attacked my flock twice and was unsuccessful prior to the dominique being killed. I didnt know it was a hawk tho i just thought my hens were picking on each other or getting stuck in the fence. Here is the hawk the day after killing my dominque trying to get my other birds.

 

[justplainolstev]

Brave little cuss!

I wonder if hawks are "migratory" I mean if you catch one and release it far far away, will it already be back where you caught it before you even get back.

 

[aart]

Brave little cuss!

I wonder if hawks are "migratory" I mean if you catch one and release it far far away, will it already be back where you caught it before you even get back.

They do migrate and can be much more of problem when large numbers are moving thru your area.
And some do not migrate but have home areas that it would return to if you moved it.

It is highly illegal on the federal level to even touch a bird of prey let alone relocate it.

 

[justplainolstev]

I knew you couldnt kill a bird of prey, but I try and be a nice guy and move it and ya know....
Either way I cant imagine a way to catch it in the first place. I am getting some netting to put around the top of my pen and hopefully they just go look for easier prey someplace else.