Dead hen- odd circumstances- predator or chicken issue?

[jbrajdich]

All,
Today during the day around noon my rooster was making a lot of unusual continued noises and I went outside to see what was going on. The girls and rooster were out free ranging and I could see from a distance that my polish hen was laying face down and not moving. The other chickens seemed to be scattered and rooster running around making a lot of noise. I picked up the polish hen and found no obvious injuries, no missing feathers and the only thing that appeared to be wrong.. was that there was no longer any skin on her waddles.

Is this something the other hens may have pecked her to death? Or a predator like a dog? I've never seen anything quite like this.

Thanks!

 

[sourland]

It is not very likely that it was the other chickens.

 

[jbrajdich]

Thank you. Dog then? We've had fox trouble but I'd imagine a fox would have taken her with.

 

[sourland]

Generally a dog messes things up pretty bad - chicken wet from mouthing, feathers scattered around. The chickens running around nervous and the rooster vocalizing make me wonder if maybe she was attacked by a hawk that left at your approach.

 

[sourland]

I'd be concerned that if it is a predator it may return tomorrow. Can you keep them penned up just in case ?

 

[jbrajdich]

I hadn't even thought of that's That's a good ifea. Yes they can be in their coop tomorrow certainly.

 

[jbrajdich]

Thanks so much for the reply

 

[sourland]

If you choose to let them out, just stay with them and monitor their free ranging. Predators are creatures of habit, and if it returns it may be around the same time as today.

 

[jbrajdich]

Wonderful idea. Thank you!

 

[sourland]

Any more problems today?