dead chicken with breast wound

[dbdurden]

I was introducing a new wyndotte pullet to 5 pullets that I had that are about 3 months old. She was a little younger but similar size because most others are bantams. I had been letting them free range together and she was afraid of them but they were chasing her away but had not harmed her -- she had lots of room to get away and a lot of bushy foliage. I came home today and found her dead with a large wound in her breast. She had no injury and was fine when I left 3 hours earlier. Would this be the work of the other chickens or some other predator? My other prime suspects would be hawk, dog or cat.

 

[Mountain Peeps]

So sorry for your loss!!!!!!

My best guesses are either a raccoon or opossum. Both are known for tearing into the breast.

 

[dbdurden]

does it make a difference that we found her lying on the wounded side so that only the unblemished side was exposed? Not like something was feeding on her after she was down.

 

[centrarchid]

Hawk was likely attacker. If you left body in place, hawk would like return later to resume feeding on it.

 

[Papas Chickens]

Sry for your loss, I also think it sounds like a hawk I had a duck attacked ahwile back from a redtailed hawk and it was laying wound side down. Cats, dogs, possoms and coons would pluck the feathers and end up eating most or the whole bird.

 

[centrarchid]

The wound being down could the result of hawk trying to drag body rolling it in the process before giving up. It may also be a way to hide carcass from competitors by making smell / site less obvious.

 

[iwiw60]

does it make a difference that we found her lying on the wounded side so that only the unblemished side was exposed? Not like something was feeding on her after she was down

Coons kill for the thrill of it...I would venture to say it was a raccoon.

 

[Papas Chickens]

dbdurden did it happen during the day or night? If was during the day you can rule out coons and possums do to the fact that they are nocturnal hunters. Raptors are day time hunters. I talked to a zooalogist budy of mine who has been studying predatory animals for 20 years and has never heard of a predatory animal killing just for the thrill.

 

[dbdurden]

Thanks so much for your responses! We have a hawk that frequents the neighborhood and our yard. It's not out of the question that it could have been a coon but I've never seen one in the neighborhood and this was mid-day. I'm a little relieved that I don't have to be mad at my other hens or my cat. My ladies will be staying in their fort-knox run a lot more I reckon.

 

[dbdurden]

it was between 9:30 and 1:30 - broad daylight which is why I didn't put possums or coons on my original suspect list