Chicken bald back

[merlina]

Some of my hens live in an ark - which is about 4ft6in tall.

Today I went to the ark and found it covered in feathers along the top and down one side - which I pretty quickly worked out weren't hen feathers (/phew)

They were, perhaps, sparrow feathers. Many hundreds - scattered all over the top and down the side of the ark

The entrails of the poor deceased bird were draped along the ark door (sorry!)

 

The question: What kills a bird in that way leaving a torrent of feathers in a pile? Definitely not a cat... was wondering bird of prey?

[sjp]

could be a bird of prey peregrines or sparrow hawks normally leave a circle of feathers on the ground their main prey are pigeons unless their disturbed that's all you find. not uncommon by me as we have good populations of all 3. it could be a kestrel, either way I'd say it was disturbed as the 'best' bits were left

Lewis is the best person to answer question this through

[jess1merlin]

I think a Sparrow Hawk is the most likely culprit.

[mullethunter]

Would a bird leave the entrails? Poor chooks - they must've been freaked right out!

[Chickabee]

My cat used to leave the entrails. She was semi Ferrell

[sjp]

Would a bird leave the entrails?

that's why I think it was disturbed as most if not all wild birds and mammals would eat the entrails first as their a high value food item

[merlina]

I think the hens were happily out free ranging when this happened - so are hopefully not traumatised!

There is often a kestrel/sparrowhawk (am not sure I can tell the difference - must work on this) hanging around the garden - there are many many sparrows as both the neighours and I feed the birds rather generously.

So that sounds like the most likely suspect - thanks

[sjp]

a kestrel is the smaller of the two the one we had around here this summer was nearly gold ( that's what court my eye a flash of gold flying between the houses) a bit smaller than a pigeon and tend to fly lower than a sparrow hawk

[mullethunter]

A bird - I suspect a sparrowhawk - came through the garden yesterday and elicited a response from the girls I've never seen before. Rather than shouting they all ran in silence to the bit of their run with the green cover, flattened themselves to the ground and stayed still and silent for a few minutes.

[Cat tails]

They were pretending to be dead.

Mine will run and hide too sometimes, although I never have seen them play dead.

[The Dogmother]

I agree that it sounds like a bird of prey strike. Pigeons have 'loose' feathers and will shed them easily, so that's probably what it was.