Can chickens have heart attacks or die from fear or exhausion?

[Gallagher]

I left my home for 30 minutes yesterday and upon my return found a fox running away with a hen and 4 dead hens all in one piece and only one with a bit of blood. Could the fox have just killed and then gone on to another flying chicken? I thought dogs did that but we have no free running dogs around. They were all one to five years of age and in very good condition. I was so upset but relieved to find 9 come slowly out of the woods an hour or so later, one is still missing.

 

[Beekissed]

Yes they can and do have heart attacks and such, but it sounds like yours were just dispatched cleanly by this fox.

Time to set a trap!

 

[Gallagher]

what would the fox do just shake him till they die and go on to the next...they have only taken one at a time in the past. Only one had blood the others just were perfectly complete and dead no wet even

 

[Gallagher]

no traps...one can not blame a fox for being a fox...I will keep them in their pen for a while and make sure the dog is outside when they are out.

 

[theOEGBman]

According to my poultry science teacher, chickens, especially laying hens, have a pretty weak liver. It tears easily and when they're frightened to the extreme, often it will tear and they will bleed internally. Sorry for your losses.

 

[Gallagher]

I did not know that and it makes sense, poor babies. They were still so warm and it was so sad, but they had a very good life and I am happy for that. Thank you for your kindness in your reply.

Hey I just checked out your BYC page, I love it that you love the predators. They have to eat too and we have moved in on their territory. Good luck in college, will you be studying wildlife somewhere? bgb

 

[M To The Maxx]

Foxes will go from one chicken to the other without eating the one he killed.

 

[theOEGBman]

Quote:
Hello,

Sorry I took so long to reply, I've been busy with school. Yeah, I was actually talking with my teacher yesterday and she said they had a major loss of hens a few weeks ago. She said they were older and the feed they were getting had higher protein and it weakened their livers and when they got spooked, their livers tore and they bled internally. You're very welcome.

I really do love predators, and agree with you. I hate losing my birds, of course, but there is something about predators that is just amazing to me. The fact that they have to hunt for their food and never know if they'll eat until they actually catch and kill their prey. Thank you very much. Im not sure what Im doing honestly. My major has been Animal Science but my Avian Practices teacher changed it to Poultry Science, lol. She's been helping me through it all, so we'll see. But at the moment, I honestly have no idea what Im going to do.

 

[ClareScifi]

This thread really scares me. How many of you out there have lost or know of someone who lost a hen to internal bleeding, following an extreme scare like a yappy dog chasing them?

 

[Kaitie09]

My aunt lost 40 hens to coyotes one year. They took 20, and the rest were piled up in a corner dead. They must have freaked out so much they had heart attacks or suffocated themselves.