What type of predator would kill in this manner?

[TinyLittleFarm]

I found Alice, a 4 year old Light Brahma, dead yesterday. There was a pile of feathers where she had been attacked and her body was about 6 feet away up next to the coop. She appeared to have a large wound in her side (the body was stiff and it was see. also super gross.) but the most prominent thing was that there was about 10 inches of her spine from her head quite a ways down. Like it was stripped bare, just the spine was left intact. Her head was still attached, though. There was no blood on the snow other than right by her body. No chicken or other tracks from where the first bunch of feathers was to where her body was found. I'm thinking some sort of bird of prey. Does that sound right? We had a problem with a fox before, but this isn't a fox.

The other girls are locked up until I can get a roof over their large run.

Poor Alice.

 

[austinbndr28]

I found Alice, a 4 year old Light Brahma, dead yesterday. There was a pile of feathers where she had been attacked and her body was about 6 feet away up next to the coop. She appeared to have a large wound in her side (the body was stiff and it was see. also super gross.) but the most prominent thing was that there was about 10 inches of her spine from her head quite a ways down. Like it was stripped bare, just the spine was left intact. Her head was still attached, though. There was no blood on the snow other than right by her body. No chicken or other tracks from where the first bunch of feathers was to where her body was found. I'm thinking some sort of bird of prey. Does that sound right? We had a problem with a fox before, but this isn't a fox.

The other girls are locked up until I can get a roof over their large run.

Poor Alice.

I had the same problem 2 years ago something got in my duckling pen and killed all 8 but not much blood it seems like it just went in the pen killed them and left. I was thinking maybe an owl? it was at night and owls are the only night bird i can think of