Dead Chick With No Wounds but..?

[CNWright]

Hi everyone! New here so forgive me for any chicken forum faux pas! I have a situation I haven’t encountered before so I’m not entirely sure what to do.

I recently found a dead chick near one of her hang out spots and the rest of the flock in hiding. The body wasn’t damaged in anyway. I didn’t find any blood or missing feathers on or around her, she didn’t have any obviously broken bones. Literally seems like she just flopped over dead. She was about 15 weeks old and healthy. She had 3 “sisters” who went and hid under my house and two adult hens who made it back to the coop and all are refusing to leave their hiding spots. All of them seem scared but not injured. I offered snacks but they didn’t want any. I’ve left them alone for now as they seem to have picked safe spots but I’m worried.

Any ideas what happened? Are there any predators that would abandon a bird? Could she have been scared to death?

 

[tlcmurphy]

Hawk maybe? My girls often hide until the sun goes down if a hawk has been in the yard. I’m sorry you lost your girl

 

[CNWright]

Thank you, but wouldn’t a hawk carry her off?

 

[tlcmurphy]

I’m not sure, the hawks have always been stopped mid-raid at our house, most were not big enough to carry off our chickens. It may have been scared away by something else?

 

[CNWright]

I hope so! Maybe it won’t come back!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

At 15 weeks, she's just about full grown, isn't she? It may have been a small or young hawk that found itself unable to carry her off. The behavior of the rest of the flock sounds like hawk to me. Sorry you lost your girl.

 

[CNWright]

At 15 weeks, she's just about full grown, isn't she? It may have been a small or young hawk that found itself unable to carry her off. The behavior of the rest of the flock sounds like hawk to me. Sorry you lost your girl.

Yes, She was almost adult size and very feisty too. It’s definitely seeming like a hawk attack. Thank you for your concern.