A chicken is dead

[flash5153]

I dont know why,or how. We have a large run fenced off with chicken wire ,,top also. Dont see a sign of a break-in.

It had no neck feathers and was bare to the neck bones. Will the others chickens do this??

My GF fed and watered the chickens the last 2 days and didnt look the run over very good so it may have been laying there dead for that time,,we really dont know.
She knows now,, to look it over well for issues.
I really need to know if I have a predator or if the other chickens will eat the dead one like this.

I think it died,,somehow??? And the other birds did this,,, but I could be wrong.

 

[flash5153]

My post was meant to be a question,,,seriously? Re-reading it sounds like a statement. So ,,,,,,,,,my question is,,,

will chickens do this damage(eat the dead) or does anyone think I have a predator?? (its blunt but I dont know how else to word it)

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

You have a varmit! A coon will reach through chicken wire & strip or remove the head by pulling it through the wire.

 

[phaethona]

chickens DO cannabalize.

as long as there's no sign of other predators, I think one of two things happened, either;
it died of natural causes and since it wasn't removed immediately, the others decided to "clean up" the mess

or it was sick or otherwise outcasted from the flock and they decided to eliminate the weakest link to strengthen the flock


oh and btw, sorry for your loss

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

A chicken won't just "take out" the weakest link.

 

[flash5153]

Quote:
Well you may be right but the head wsnt missing only the neck feathers and the meat ,to the bone(a small area) and it was laying 4 ft inside the fencing.
I will keep a close eye on the coop for any other signs. I realize Im asking something that could be a number of things.

 

[flash5153]

Quote:
No sign of predators. I believe this is what happened but needed to know if the chickens would do this .

Thank You

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

If it already had an open, or bleeding wound, the others may have fed off of that spot.

 

[phaethona]

Quote:
No sign of predators. I believe this is what happened but needed to know if the chickens would do this .

Thank You

I learned this the hard way, I rehomed a chick to a friend who had 1 year old birds and apparently the age gap was too big and we weren't careful enough. on day three of integration, the older hens trampled the chick and pecked her head and neck till it was gone. they saw the little one as a threat to the flock so they got rid of her

so despite what one of the previous posters said, they will thin the flock if they feel it's neccessary, not saying that's for sure what happened in your case, but it's a possibility