CornishX pulling intestines out of each other *GROSS* picture post 6

[Livinzoo]

This is my first time with CornishXs. They are about 4.5 weeks old and I just move them from a small cramped cage in my well shelter to a large tractor on the front yard. The first day they gutted 4. Today is the second day and they gutted 3. I only had 17 when I moved them out. So now I'm down to 10. They are in with a bunch of ISA the same age as them. They have been together the whole time. They are not messing with the ISAs and the ISAs aren't messing with them. The tractor is 4 times the size of the cage them came out of. They went from a 2x8 to an 8x8. Do I need to cramp them so they don't do this? I'm feeding them the same food as I always have and they are actually getting more food than I was giving them in the smaller cage.

Why are they doing this and how do I get them to stop? I hate having to kill them because half their intestines are hanging out.

 

[Bossroo]

I smell a rat !!!

 

[bigredfeather]

Yeah, it doesn't sound like something a chicken would do.

 

[PotterWatch]

Agreed. I think you have a predator such as a rat and since the meaties are so much slower, they are the ones getting caught.

 

[Livinzoo]

It is in the center of my front yard. With adult chickens, turkeys and ducks running every where around it. I have walked up and saw one with his intestines hanging out and two others behind him trying to eat them. I know it is the corishes that are doing it to each other. I just don't know why.

 

[Livinzoo]

Warning GROSS picture below.




Showing the tractors location

Showing one of the attacked birds prior to being humanely dispatched.

 

[bigredfeather]

What time of day did you first notice it? I can accept the fact they are picking at it, I just can't believe they are the ones starting it. One thing that I have noticed in raising CX is they are, in my expireince, the least canabilistic of any breed. All breeds will peck at something red like that because they are drawn to red. Also, I couldn't imagine it happening multiple times. One or 2 maybe, but not that many. I think something else is starting it, any they are just the ones getting the complete blame. Please don't think I am doubting what you are seeing, I just have never seen anyone else post this type of problem, especially of this magnitude.

 

[Neil Grassbaugh]

I have seen simular injuries to this in industrial broiler production facilities when the birds would pile up in corners or at the end of the building. They simply have the guts squeezed out of them do the pressure ot the weight of other birds.

0Typically piling happens when the birds are frightened. I have seen it happen due to loud noisies including thunder, lightning, flickering lights, and other animals (especially predators0. The worst I ever saw was 10,000 (out of 25,000) broilers ready to go to market killed by piling when a mongoose got into the building in Puerto Rico and caused the birds to pile in both ends of the building. Chickens seem to be naturally terified of a mongoose. Nasty animals - cute little Riki-Tiki-Tavi they are not.

Is there a possibility that your birds are piling enough to cause this? Don't disconsider the possibility that they might be cold.

 

[GiddyMoon]

You know..I am a pretty tough girl..but I have to say..I wished I had never opened this thread..I cannot even imagine walking in on something like this...

 

[PotterWatch]

I agree that there must be some root cause and the birds are pecking at it after it happens. What the cause could be, I have no idea.