4 chicks found dead in the morning

[chick_magnet]

I went out to see how my chicks are doing this morning and I found four dead. Two in their pen and two outside. I have Jersey Giant and they had enough food and water inside their pen. How they got out I am still trying to figure. The body of the chicks are half eaten. I was think maybe my chicks are other chicks. Does chicks eat their own kind? I just lost now. However they way the body of eaten I was my avery small animal. the bones were connected to bones just the meat was misssing. Thats why I think it the chicks that ate one another. Can someone tell me what mght have happpened

 

[sgtmom52]

Sorry for your loss.

It was probably some type of predator like a raccoon, weasel or similar critter. It is possible for chickens to kill and consume another chicken, but it is highly unlikely that is what happened here.

What type of pen do you have them in? Is is covered & secure? A picture of your pen would help.

 

[chick_magnet]

I thought about that but there is noway any of those predators can get in the pen/coop. I thought maybe the ones that dead outside of the coop were possible but the one inside the coop is not likely. I found the hole and chicks could barely squeeze out.

 

[spotstealer]

So sorry for your loss, it must have made you sick to youe stomach to come across such a scene. Being that a couple were found outside their coop, it sounds like a predator got to them. Carefully look over your coop for any spot anyhting could have gotten in. If you aren't using hardware cloth, or something more sturdy than chicken wire. Rodents don't need much of an opening to get in, and now they know where a food source is and will be back.

 

[sgtmom52]

Quote:
Weasels can fit through a hole about as small as 1" in diameter! That is roughly the size of a quarter. Also a raccoon can reach inside your pen, grab a chick and pull it out through the wire.

 

[haemony]

I'm sorry that happened. Poor little guys. Please secure your coop to prevent further loss. If the chicks could squeeze out, a predator could squeeze in easily. Some chicken predators (like weasels and rats) can squeeze into any opening bigger than their skull. That's about an inch square. I was told that I needed 1/2 inch hardware cloth to keep them out.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
I agree, weasels and rats can fit through very small openings. I think opossums can too.

I'm so sorry you had to go through this.

 

[juliawitt]

So sorry!! I found one of my favorite chickens dead after work once. A hawk had killed her, but after she was dead the other chickens ate on her.....Unfortunately, chickens are opportunistic feeders, so my poor Sue was dead and eaten by her friends. I was devastated and traumatized by finding her like that. I had to learn to forgive my other girls by understanding that was just what chickens do. Your babies had a good life, though short. Now, I would work on keeping your predator out. Do you have a game camera you could set up to see what your predator might be? Hope you catch your predator and find a way to keep everyone safe. In the predator section there are great ideas on predator proofing and catch the villain. I really feel badly for you.

 

[chick_magnet]

it was a rat. I got my problem taken care of now. I let my chicks out of the coop and now they are running around of my dogs. They get alone fine and my dogs are they security guard.

 

[sgtmom52]

Quote:
I'm glad you found the problem and took care of it. Hopefully you sealed up the holes as where there is one rat there are many more!