Concerned that a person attacked chicken - see pics

[JacinLarkwell]

Oh my. While I don't want to say it's them definately, it is possible. People can be terrible sometimes. When she was a teenager, my mother gave a rabbit to her neighbors before moving in with my dad and a few weeks later the rabbit was killed by some teenagers because it was fun (the rabbit has an outside hutch, which is very common there).

To be on the safe side, could we have pictures of the coop? Maybe we can find something there that she might have got caught on

 

[ChickenPeck2000]

An unknown trespasser, wrung the neck of one of my favorite chickens recently. I'm still mad about it. Hopefully you get your situation figured out.

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

 

[ChickenPeck2000]

This is a common place for serious pecking sometimes from mating. Is it possible that your rooster was ignored by her, and went after her? Was there any way a predator got inside. Most hens usually recover from these head wounds. Spray the wound twice a day with Vetericyn hydrogel. Neosporin can be used if you don’t have a hydrogel spray. Keep her separated in a wire dog crate inside the coop with the others until her wound heals.

It is a possibility but I can’t confirm. The timing of the “domestic” issues that I had with the babysitter is just very coincidental timing. She (the hen, not the sitter) is separated in a dog cage for being treated.

 

[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.

 

[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

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Yeah I was wondering if a hen or rooster can bruise the back of the neck/head that badly. I guess one of the only ways I would know is by putting the hen back with the flock after it recovers to see what happens next.

Inmean, my males bruise me when they grab. The yellow means it's an older bruise usually

 

[Eggcessive]

The area behind the head and neck is also where many young chicks get hurt when they are put in with other larger chickens without slow integration. But I have also had a hen nearly scalped by a young cockerel starting to mate.

I would try to keep her inside the coop with the others, but spearated in a dog crate after a couple of days of doctoring her. It will make it easier to bring her back. But I would separate the rooster for awhile when that happens.

 

[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.