Chicken attacked by mystery predator

[Hep44]

Can you post photos of the injuries?
You now have had 2 hens total with injuries plus the rooster?

How old is the rooster and the hens? You mention he just started mating, so a cockerel I assume - they be aggressive with pullets especially or docile older hens.

Ok so I can't really explain this without making a long post....

First of all, I don't have pictures of the injuries I can try to get some tomorrow.

Secondly...This is our first year having chickens. We lost a few, unfortunately, to our dog, with only 1 survivor (Bertha). We got more chickens, including our rooster, Poop (named by my 4 year old lol.) We taught the dog not to touch the chickens, so they coexist happily now. Then we had a few more picked off by some sort of predator. Then the attacks stopped once one of our other roosters (Sleepy) matured. But then, Sleepy turned out to be a huge A-hole and attacked my daughter, so we had to cull him. So Poop became our only rooster, and he is a brahma (slow maturing) and has always been kind of a derp. Once Poop matured, the attacks stopped for a bit. However, the other day a pullet was killed by what we think was a bird of prey, and then this incident with Bertha happened.

I have another post addressing the predator issue. Unfortunately, where we live it could literally be anything. We've trapped a few things, set up trail cams, have tried to use the dog to deter predators, etc. If you have any more advise on deterring predators I would gladly welcome it.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Ok so I can't really explain this without making a long post....

First of all, I don't have pictures of the injuries I can try to get some tomorrow.

Secondly...This is our first year having chickens. We lost a few, unfortunately, to our dog, with only 1 survivor (Bertha). We got more chickens, including our rooster, Poop (named by my 4 year old lol.) We taught the dog not to touch the chickens, so they coexist happily now. Then we had a few more picked off by some sort of predator. Then the attacks stopped once one of our other roosters (Sleepy) matured. But then, Sleepy turned out to be a huge A-hole and attacked my daughter, so we had to cull him. So Poop became our only rooster, and he is a brahma (slow maturing) and has always been kind of a derp. Once Poop matured, the attacks stopped for a bit. However, the other day a pullet was killed by what we think was a bird of prey, and then this incident with Bertha happened.

I have another post addressing the predator issue. Unfortunately, where we live it could literally be anything. We've trapped a few things, set up trail cams, have tried to use the dog to deter predators, etc. If you have any more advise on deterring predators I would gladly welcome it.

OK, but the most recent was Bertha right?
Was Poop injured too?
If you are struggling with predators, then it would be a toss up whether poop is the culprit for injury or not.

Either way, injuries need to be treated and monitored for infection.

 

[Hep44]

OK, but the most recent was Bertha right?
Was Poop injured too?
If you are struggling with predators, then it would be a toss up whether poop is the culprit for injury or not.

Either way, injuries need to be treated and monitored for infection.

Yes, the most recent was Bertha. Poop was not injured after this incident, but he was after the last one. And I gave her a bath in Epson salt and have her separated from the flock, she seems to be doing well now

 

[ackie]

I would look her over for more injuries even if she isnt thrilled about it - I know it's awful, but youd be mad at yourself tomorrow if you look her over then and find something that should have been dealt with tonight. Keep the wounds clean, keep her separate until you can be sure no one will peck at her wounds & that she wont just roll dirt right up in them.

As far as the predators, do your birds have a lot of covered spots to hide from aerial attacks? Trees, bushes, under a porch etc.

 

[Hep44]

I would look her over for more injuries even if she isnt thrilled about it - I know it's awful, but youd be mad at yourself tomorrow if you look her over then and find something that should have been dealt with tonight. Keep the wounds clean, keep her separate until you can be sure no one will peck at her wounds & that she wont just roll dirt right up in them.

As far as the predators, do your birds have a lot of covered spots to hide from aerial attacks? Trees, bushes, under a porch etc.

We do have a lot of trees and bushes, however they are completely bare right now so I think its leaving them more vulnerable. We have a large lilac bush that they like to hide under (which is, like I said, completely bare), and that appears to be where the attack started, and then it looks like she went under a bush by the ditch, and we found her hiding next to a stump in the ditch.