Attack by dog...or rooster??

[buckaroo's wife]

I have 5 seventeen week old hens. Came home the other day to a yard full of feathers and I feared the worst. I found them all alive. One was completely unscathed, 3 were a little worse for the wear (missing feathers, roughed up, etc.) and one has a huge bald spot on her back and at least one puncture wound. I concluded that it was a neighbor dog that must have done it, but now I'm second guessing. Wouldn't a dog have killed her if he caught her? My neighbors across the road have a rooster, and now I'm wondering if he made his way into my yard, and HE roughed them up??? My chickens free range, but usually hang out in my pasture with my horses or near their coop (right next to the barn). A dog could have gotten to them but I'm just wondering why, if a dog did, he didn't just finish the job.

(Injured hen is still mobile and not acting like she's in shock...)

What do y'all think?!?

 

[ivan3]

A yard full of feathers would be semaphoring `dog' to me (could have been interrupted during its `play time'). Hope the punctured girl is O.K.

 

[silkiechicken]

Sounds like dog. If the dog just wanted to play, it might have just done that and played with them, except a "soft" nip to a chicken = lost feathers and holes vs a "soft" nip to fellow dog.

Doesn't sound like what a roo would do, especially a mature one, as those would rather woo the girls in as they've learned chasing = less girls.