Does this sound like a hawk attack?

[clucknpeck]

Yesterday morning I awoke to my husband telling me the chickens got out of the coop and were all over our 1 acre yard. -They spend their days in a 650 sq ft run rather than free ranging because I worry about the outrageous number of hawks we have here.- Apparently when checking for eggs I didn't shut the egg collecting door properly. The chickens really seemed to enjoy their new scenery though, and catching them was easy. The dogs helped without tormenting the chickens too much We even thought, hey, maybe we should let them do this everyday!
Then I noticed one was missing. One of only 3 bantam hens, and a very sweet one at that. We scoured the yard and came across a thick trail of her feathers that led us to a tree. Underneath the tree was a large pile of her feathers. So I came to terms with her death and decided it was a hawk.
It doesn't end there though. This morning I look outside and our 13 year old austrailian shepherd is taring her to bits and enjoying his meal. I was crushed. I thought she must of come home and he killed her. It didn't even make sense because he is not a bird killer. (see the picture below of him herding the ducks back to their pen for us.) I sent my husband out and he told me there was no blood on our dog so he must be eating the carcass.
So here is my husbands theory- a hawk took the hen into a tree, ate what he want, then the rest fell out of the tree this morning. Thats when the dog found the dead bird and ate it, because what dog doesn't like dead things?
I would love to know your honest opinion. We have only lost one other bird to cocci so we don't know what predator attacks look like.

 

[groundpecker]

the carnage you described does not represent what a hawk does. It reads more like a dog attack.

 

[clucknpeck]

Really? We heard when a dog attacks they have blood on them.
Plus the body didn't show up for an entire day.
Not doubting you at all. If anything I just don't want to accept that one of my dogs did it.

 

[zazouse]

You know your dog better than anyone, my DH got on to one of our dogs that brought a dead bird to the porch, I had to remind him the dogs will do that, they will also eat it if i give it back to them but i just throw it on the fire and cook the feathers off for them.
I have 8 dogs here and i trust every one of them, after all they are here to do a job and they do it well.
Keep an eye on you beautiful dog, i dought it was her that killed the bird.

 

[groundpecker]

What could have happened is the hawk got the bird first, then the dog got it later.

 

[clucknpeck]

My chickens run is really secure and now I know to double check the doors so I am not worried about it happening again, I just hate that my sweet chickens death is a mystery.

 

[MEchickenfarmer33]

a hawk attack usually has no trace what so ever. maybe one or two feathers unless the hawk landed and faught the chicken and ripped feathers out but with it being a bantam than I would presume the hawk could just just swoop grab and leave quickly. also the trail of feathers isnt characteristic for them either. as fast as a hawk flys away the feathers wouldn't fall in a trail but fall and be picked up by a gust of wind and carried. sadly it sounds like something other than a hawk but I dont think it was your dog. were the dogs let out at all before your husband realized the chickens were out?? hope i helped and sorry for your loss

 

[CarolinaSkies]

IMO-Hawk attacks come in all forms because of the variety of hawks. We've had chickens disappear w/o a trace, disappear with a few feathers left behind and this spring a small hawk killed one of our BCMarans and was too small to carry it off. I found a small hawk perched on top of my dead hen, ripping out feathers. So, I think it could be possible that a hawk killed it and could get it into the tree, but no further and was forced to abandon it, but I'd keep an eye on your dog too.

 

[wvtim]

That sounds like a coopers hawk - they kill and come back the next day.

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