Predator Question

[littlechicklet]

I went out early this morning to discover BB's only chick missing.  I found the remains in the upper corner of the pen.  The adult birds were fine.  It was obvious it had been killed & consumed there: intestines, some feathers & bits of bone left.  We checked the perimeter of the fence & no sign of anything getting in: either under or over.  The pen has 5-6' woven wire with 2 hot wires on the outside with one close to the ground and the other about 6-8" above it.  Does anyone have an ideas as to what it could have been? 

We could not find any fur or tracks around the lot and I don't know if hawks would eat it there and crunch the bones.  Also our pens are in a wooded are so birds of prey could get in but not as easy as a pen in the open.  There are no bodies of water close and we are in E. TN if that helps any.

This is a first for us since we put up the hot wire.  Thanks for any suggestions.

[d12chandler]

If it was coons, they would have killed more don't you think. How big was the chick?

[littlechicklet]

He was small no more than 6-7 weeks- just starting to feather. Since it left the intestines I think it was a hawk. Plus it happened after daylight. Our neighbors up on the hill have a lot of trouble with hawks.

I know the last coon attack we had it took the cockerels (almost grown) outside the lot and left the carcass.

[bamachicken]

Possums climb fence. Owls attack at dusk or daylight

[littlechicklet]

Thanks. I don't think it was a coon or opossum but either an owl or hawk. We have 2 strands of hot wire around most of the pens (some just one) so it would be hard for something to try to climb without getting into the fence. Also there were no signs of digging under or any hair on the fence or disturb leaves around the pens.