Chicken seriously injured, found in roosting room

[chickenman111]

I got up this morning to find 1 of my hens laying on the floor of the roosting room. She can't walk, I looked at her and she's missing feathers on the right side of her head, a little on her back, and her neck moves from side to side. I'm trying to help her out but its not looking hopeful. I decided to investigate the roosting room, I found a hole, and some rodent droppings. None of my other chickens are hurt. I have been dealing with a weasel but I believe the weasel is dead by now and this doesn't seem to be the same method of kill.
If anyone has any ideas on what this could be I would really appreciate it. One more thing, would hens kill each other and how would you tell if that was the case.

 

[chickenman111]

The hen just died, I found a bite on the back of her head, and bite marks on her throat. I saw what looked like a smaller weasel in the woods a little while ago, and I found some sort of den near my coop, it has a lot of holes in it and sticks drug over part of it. Please if anyone has any advice please help.

 

[Suzie]

So very sorry to hear of your loss... I have had rats use an identical method of killing seven young ducklings..the mother duck was with them but she did not manage to defend them....I now use a rat proof housing for them overnight when there are young ones.

One of my Silkies was bitten by a rat when she was on a nesting box full of eggs she was attempting to hatch..she survived thankfully.

 

[chicksurreal]

So sorry to hear this. The only advice I could give is to make your coop and run as predator-poof as possible.

Not sure what your set-up is, we built our coop about 3 feet off the ground and enclosed it and the run completely with heavy gauge wire fencing buried in the ground and completely covered on top. I feel ours are safe when they are in their run or coop, but we do let them free-range during the day and lost a cockerel to a bobcat not to long ago.

 

[chickenman111]

first I would like to thank you. I will try to make it more predator proof, thanks both of you.

 

[aart]

Why do you 'think' the weasel is dead?

1/2" hardware cloth is the only thing that will deter a weasel.

Might think about an apron too.

 

[chickenman111]

I think the weasel is dead, I hit him with a shot from a 4 10 shotgun, he ran off though and I couldn't find him to finish him.

 

[sandovaljose214]

poor chicken