WHERE'S MY CHICKENS HEAD!!!!!

[Greasydog26]

Bad news on the homestead tonight. Went to shut up the chickens and one of them was

missing. Went and found that it was over the hill DEAD!!! Her head was missing and part down into his neck and back had been eaten. Any ideas on what the predator was?

 

[sourland]

Were feathers scattered around the hen's body? Sounds like the work of a raptor. Most likely hawk, but I wouldn't rule out a GHO . Especially if your day has been as overcast as it has been here in NJ.

 

[Greasydog26]

GHO??? Yeah my wife had saw a hawk flying around and I suspected that is what it was but just wanted to see what everyone else thought. Guess we are having chicken for dinner...

 

[sourland]

Sorry, GHO = Great Horned owl. They frequently kill by decapitation and start eating from the head downward. Although they are primarily night time predators, they will hunt at dawn, dusk, or even on heavily overcast drizzly days. Keep an eye on your birds. Now that the predator has had success, it will return.