Lost a chicken tonight

[Canamer]

We lost our first chicken tonight. We have (had) 8 hens about 6-8 months old, and two small bunnies in a 12 X 12 coop with a 16 X 10 fully enclosed run. Everyone has been getting along fine. Kids went out to close the coop for the the night, and came back in to say they thought there was blood on the roost. We went out, and our barred rock was struggling. She had a gash on her chest, with breast bone exposed. She was dead within minutes of us going out to the coop. There is no sign of any predator breaking in, and everyone seemed quiet on the roost. Bunnies where in their corner of the coop. Only blood we found was a tiny bit on the chair they use to hop up to the roost, and on the roost where she sat.

There doesn't appear to be anywhere she could have injured herself. Could one of the other hens have gashed her, or one of the bunnies?

I am at a complete loss. Any ideas?

 

[GitaBooks]

I'm so sorry to hear that.

It could have been a weasel of some kind that slipped inside or it could have been a nail sticking out of somewhere. Chickens can injure one another, but only a rooster can gash and they rarely do that to a hen. Rabbits have sharp teeth, but again, they bite leaving relatively small wounds to my knowledge.

I hope the others remain safe and healthy.