Went out to give the chickens some leftovers this morning. Unlike on a typical day, no chickens came running to beg for food. Looked in both of their coops. My eyes scanned around the yard. Then I saw it. A fairly impressive brown and white hawk with a curved flesh-ripping beak, doing just that–ripping flesh. A pile of blood and feathers marked Comet’s last stand. There was no ‘checking if she was alive’…clearly ex-chicken. Pretty bold hawk, too. Not scared of me at all. I probably got within 5 feet of it.
Eventually it flew up onto the back of one of our lawn chairs, then to the roof, then off into the distance.
After a careful exploration of the yard, eventually found Beaker hiding under a table behind the tiki bar. I closed her into her enclosed coop/run and brought her some food and water. She seems shaken. Maybe another trip to Chicago Chicken Rescue will be in order for this weekend. She needs a friend.
Accidental Chicken 