what was it?

[Mike Winters]

hmm what attacks in the middle of the day, takes more then 30 seconds to kill a chicken, leaves a feather trail and if a big enough of a threat to annoy 12 crows.

I seen 12 crows chasing a red tail hawk out of the yard and my chickens were all hiding but the must damage it did was leave a a 20 foot long feather trail and pull a few tail feathers out of a medium size chicken.

Seems odd though because hawks pounce and kill the chicken in one hit and there was at least 20+ feet of feathers and the hen that got attacked is just missing a few and doesn't look beat up just bleeding with tail and some feathers from the legs missing. might it have been a cat, fox or small dog and the hawk just happened to be flying though?

what ever it was wasn't strong enough to kill a Rhode island red in one shot or in less then a about half a minute.

the chicken is fine just missing a few feathers and scared

 

[starkiller8]

i would have to say its a cat from what you said. do u have pics of prints or of the chicken that would give me a better idea.

 

[Mike Winters]

i don't see any prints they where in a spot with a lot of leaves. the hen isn't hurt just looks like some thing pulled some of her tail feathers out with a little blood.
Grey fox hit a lot harder i stopped a fox once and it took it like 10 seconds to rip out all of the tail feathers and breast feathers out of a silver wyandotte hen and knock the wind out of her for a day. she is ok that one, odd that it went for the must camouflaged one also the silver wyandottes is the one that usually has all the bad luck with things attacking them not the rhode island.

 

[starkiller8]

i would say its a cat

 

[Charm1704]

Years ago I had a red tail hawk swoop down and knock a hen out.....It hit her so hard it just knocked her out cold...some feathers were pulled out but other than that when she came to she was fine...just scared so bad she didn't free range for over a week...then I had a fox hiding under my house come out during the day and kill a full grown hen in one grab of the neck...leaving a trail of feathers to follow....It's hard to say...but if you saw a hawk....that's probably the problem...~Charm1704

 

[zazouse]

I say bob cat.
Sorry for your loss

 

[Mike Winters]

i never said i lost one