What predator just takes the head?

[rhs7111]

A rat will also take just the head.

 

[carrlr]

Quote:
This is true, but a rat could not and probably would not drag a full size chicken far.

 

[rufus]

You had better hope it was a raccoon; it is unlawful to eliminate an owl.

Rufus

 

[cmfarm]

I'm thinking hawk maybe. They like to open up the sculls and eat the insides but will also take the whole head. I think racoons usually atack at night so if it happened during the day (which it sounds like it did) then it was more likely a hawk.

 

[Higins00]

A hawk will eat the back and side of the chicken first and they wouldn't come at night.

I have a hava heart trap (i think) and I stick a can of smelly cat food in the back of the trap. Works every time the next day. I usually leave it out and get the rest of the family
the next few days.

 

[cmfarm]

Quote:
I had a hawk eating my chickens and would just eat the heads.

 

[Higins00]

I have never seen that before, they usually go for the meaty part ripping it's feathers out first and grabing chunks of meat. They hold the head down with a talen. Maybe you have a falcon or something.
It's a horrible death either way.

 

[Celtic Chick]

Quote:
Sorry to hear of your loss.

I would say coon. I'm thinking it wasn't a skunk, unless it was an awfully big, hungry one to drag them so far. I had a skunk spend almost the entire winter breaking into our run & coop and all he ever did was eat the scratch & chicken chow. He never bothered my chickens or rabbits.

Since being discovered, though, everything has been reinforced, and he is now one frustrated skunk.

 

[rockinpaints]

It is a weasel for sure. Raccoons usually make a bloody mess tearing the chickens apart and they eat more of the chicken. A weasel only eats the head. It can kill the entire coop of chickens in one night though. They are destructive and kill for sport. And.....very difficult to get rid of. Their food of choice is rats but if there are no rats they will get in the chicken coops. I have seen them leave a setting hen on her eggs with no head!

Good luck!

 

[jeepchick]

We had a racoon kill our phesants when I was younger and took the heads and left the rest....caught him red handed