Will you help me identify this predator? VERY graphic images

[Carolyn]

Hawk. I lost 2 last winter, the first during a very cold spell and her coloring was so much like the leaves that I didn't find her until a few days later. She looked like yours but had been eaten on more including most of 1 breast. The other looked like yours and was actually killed in the hen house during the day. There was a trail of evidence where she had entered the run with it trying to catch her several times and finally killed her in a corner of the house.

My husband saw a large bird fly out of the pen the day the first was killed, he thought it was a hawk but could possibly have been an owl. Hawks will kill and eat the head, then come back to eat more of the bird later. I have electric net fencing around the whole area.

Sorry about your loss.

 

[Hound]

Another good way to tell whether it was a bird of prey or a raccoon is the number of birds killed. A bird of prey will usually just kill what it needs to eat, raccoons go on a rampage and kill everything they can.

 

[oliviad51]

Maybe it was a hawk. The body did seem a little fresh.

I know this sounds gross but the hawk or whatever killed her must have ripped open her crop because there was scratch feed everywhere. Some of the other chickens were eating it. (Gross!). Do you think they willbe ok? Could they get sick?

 

[PaulaJoAnne]

As long as your chicken wasn't carrying a disease or parasite unique to her, your other chickens will be fine. The crop just stores the food till it can get into the gizzard. Good luck with your ongoing coop security! It can be a real booger.

 

[oliviad51]

Ok, thanks. As far as I know, my chickens are all healthy

 

[oliviad51]

Ok guys....another attack! I'm really starting to think this is a hawk. No pics this time but I will describe it the best I can.

I was one of our polish roosters OUTSIDE of the fence. He was laying in the middle of the yard.
There were feathers EVERYWHERE. They were missing on his body...espically on the breast bone and up towards the neck. His head was still attatched and there was a big hole in his body with all the organs missing. Anyone know what it could be?

If it is a hawk, its going to keep coming back probably. My coops are pretty small so I don't think I can leave the chickens in there all day but I can if I really have to.