Concerned that a person attacked chicken - see pics

[MysteryChicken]

I’m so sorry to hear that. Such great violation.

Thanks, it is very much a violation of property. Especially when your keeping your birds on your grandpa's property like I am.


It's possible a person did this to your bird. She could've been beaten with a sharp stick, or something like that. Does she show any signs of head trauma?

 

[ChickenPeck2000]

I agree with @Eggcessive. Perhaps installing a game camera or two around your pen/coop will help. I'd thoroughly inspect the perimeter of your pen for a breech somewhere, maybe something dug under the pen. An apron of field fence attached to the base of the pen laid on the ground outside and around the pen will deter predators that dig.
It's also time to lock your birds up in the coop at night. I do.

Thank you. Yes I have cameras on delivery and have started locking all the latches. Everything else is fully secure, no breaches.

 

[David61]

A hawk? My cousin had a hawk reach in the fence wire and grab one of her girls by the head. If she didn't see it with her own eyes she wouldn't have believed it . The chicken lived but had a gash and hole.

 

[ChickenPeck2000]

Thanks, it is very much a violation of property. Especially when your keeping your birds on your grandpa's property like I am.


It's possible a person did this to your bird. She could've been beaten with a sharp stick, or something like that. Does she show any signs of head trauma?

Only that green bruising under the flesh wounds. A concussion occurred as well. The pictures don't do any justice, but our local chicken farmer said he has never seen wounds like this on a chicken before and finds it hard to believe that the flock did this due to the severity even though he too says it is a common spot for pecking injuries. Then once we informed him of the babysitter issues another that then became the "omg" moment for him. He inspected the coop too... no breach.

 

[ChickenPeck2000]

Only that green bruising under the flesh wounds. A concussion occurred as well. The pictures don't do any justice, but our local chicken farmer said he has never seen wounds like this on a chicken before and finds it hard to believe that the flock did this due to the severity even though he too says it is a common spot for pecking injuries. Then once we informed him of the babysitter issues another that then became the "omg" moment for him. He inspected the coop too... no breach.

He was thinking screwdriver... I was thinking hammer. Or, it was a flock fight.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Only that green bruising under the flesh wounds. A concussion occurred as well. The pictures don't do any justice, but our local chicken farmer said he has never seen wounds like this on a chicken before and finds it hard to believe that the flock did this due to the severity even though he too says it is a common spot for pecking injuries. Then once we informed him of the babysitter issues another that then became the "omg" moment for him. He inspected the coop too... no breach.

Yep sounds like a beating. Sorry this happened to your bird.

Chickens will scalp other birds too, but the blood spatter, & a concussion are more relevant of a beating.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Only time I see blood spatter on the walls is when a bird gets a bloody comb, & shakes their head.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Only time I see blood spatter on the walls is when a bird gets a bloody comb, & shakes their head.

I can second. I had a male that nicked his comb and when I checked on him it looked like someone got killed. He was fine, but you wouldn't know just looking at the splatters

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I agree with @Eggcessive this is a common area on the head that hens can suffer from rooster.
I have witnessed it first hand 2 times, from the same rooster. I foolishly let him have a second chance and he ended up injuring my hen again. Lesson learned the hard way by me, now I share so others may learn and not make the same mistake I did. (see photos below of the damage the rooster did the first time, the second looked similar and yes a day or two later the surrounding tissue was swollen and green. Thankfully this hen healed very well and thrived. The rooster was culled).

I'm sorry that you are facing a struggle it must be upsetting to you. A very good idea to have cameras installed. They come in handy to see what happened. The second attack on my hen I saw it on video, disturbing and heartbreaking as it was, there was no question about what happened.
I realize your situation is different and you have reason for concern, but it would also be a good idea to consider investigating a bit more, keep a cool head and don't jump to conclusions - watch your rooster and how the hens act toward him. While my hens did interact with him, they were "cautious" - hindsight is 20/20. Go back and look at the photos of your injured hen - she has scabs on her comb similar to what mine had - scabs from a rooster grabbing her. Skin is ripped...literally on video I saw my rooster grab this hen by the back of the neck and throw her.

My Krissy.

 

[ChickenPeck2000]

I agree with @Eggcessive this is a common area on the head that hens can suffer from rooster.
I have witnessed it first hand 2 times, from the same rooster. I foolishly let him have a second chance and he ended up injuring my hen again. Lesson learned the hard way by me, now I share so others may learn and not make the same mistake I did. (see photos below of the damage the rooster did the first time, the second looked similar and yes a day or two later the surrounding tissue was swollen and green. Thankfully this hen healed very well and thrived. The rooster was culled).

I'm sorry that you are facing a struggle it must be upsetting to you. A very good idea to have cameras installed. They come in handy to see what happened. The second attack on my hen I saw it on video, disturbing and heartbreaking as it was, there was no question about what happened.
I realize your situation is different and you have reason for concern, but it would also be a good idea to consider investigating a bit more, keep a cool head and don't jump to conclusions - watch your rooster and how the hens act toward him. While my hens did interact with him, they were "cautious" - hindsight is 20/20. Go back and look at the photos of your injured hen - she has scabs on her comb similar to what mine had - scabs from a rooster grabbing her. Skin is ripped...literally on video I saw my rooster grab this hen by the back of the neck and throw her.

My Krissy.
View attachment 2480841

That is so scary. Yes we are definitely getting more cameras. I was thinking that maybe she was shaking her head for the splattering to occur, but then I thought if there is severe pain she may not want to shake her head. Further I had thought chickens go into some weird trance at night when they sleep so I dismissed late night fighting, but perhaps they fought right after sunset when they went up into their enclosed area before going to sleep. Or the chicken was in its "trance" making it easier for the person to grab her and beat her over the head with a tool very easily and quickly. All speculation I guess. If I didn't have issues with the sitter/boyfriend I would just straight up assume it was chickens/rooster fighting.