Concerned that a person attacked chicken - see pics

[ChickenPeck2000]

Hi Everyone

I have 6 hens and one rooster and have had them for almost a year. They all behave very friendly.

This past Sunday morning we discovered one of our chickens had a brutal wound to the back of the head. The picture doesn’t do full justice, but there is a large gash of a hole that exposed some of her bones. As you can see there is also noticeable greenish bruising that suggests trauma. A local vet said that the chicken has a concussion.

I was thinking it may be one of the flock members. It definitely was not an outside because of the way the coop is constructed and located. However last week we had issues with a bipolar live-in babysitter that we had to kick out where her options are to go to another state to work or go back to her country of origin. The problem is she developed a boyfriend here, and both her and the boyfriend are extremely pissed at us because the situation isn’t working out, and he lives locally, so he isn’t moving. They also knew this was my wife’s favorite chicken.

Anyways, I’m looking for opinions of you think this was a chicken that caused this, or if it’s likely a person broke into the coop at night and inflicted harm on the chicken in a retaliatory way.

blood is splattered all within the coop. None of the other chickens beaks or faces had blood on them. Some did have some on their feet but I imagine the injured chicken was maybe shaking her head and rubbing off the blood within The coop, or it’s just splattering.

 

[MysteryChicken]

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.

 

[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

 

[Eggcessive]

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.

 

[Abriana]

I would be absolutely livid if any human touched my chickens. Predators I can deal with, they have to eat, but a malicious intent to injure is different. I don’t live in a place where that has ever happened or probably would ever happened, but I’ve thought about putting combination locks on my coops so it would be doubly secure from both animals and humans. Definitely when I have my own coop and chickens I’ll be using combination locks. Maybe that would be a good idea to try on your coop and I would put up cameras as well.

I hope your girl gets better

 

[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.

 

[dawg53]

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.

 

[My Pretty Pekins]

I can't help I'm afraid but am sympathetic anyway... hoping all goes well!
My girls send love to yours

 

[Eggcessive]

It could be that the chickens sensed a problem and became upset or acted up. They may have been neglected or not been getting fed or watered. But this is a common location for pecking injuries.