dead chicken with wet neck???

[4roosandahen]

Ok, I just had one of my Icelandic pullets killed last night.

It means I only have a roo and one other pullet left(Icelandics that is). We have several other chickens that do not appear to have been attacked and though I think we figured out what it was but wanted to run it past some experts here.

Here is what I found this afternoon:
I was looking for eggs and opened my coop to find the a dead Pullet(3mo old and about the size of a bantam). She was totally intact no blood no pecking marks. She had her head, crop, etc, but on her neck she was missing some feathers(very small amount near the base of her body). The weird thing was that her neck and head looked like it had been slobbered all over or almost mauled but not crushed or eaten. It appeared she had been dead for many hours as she was pretty stiff and cold. I suspect it happened last night late or early morning. We have very good fencing but I do not lock them in the coup at night. Their run is a covered(by sheet metal) dog run. The coup has windows but I have the welded close mesh over the windows. What do you think?


Ok, here is what we came up with please let me know if this is possible. We think the pullet was attacked by a snake last night(since this is the only time they are quiet enough to catch her) and that the snake tried to swallow the pullet head first only to find out she was too big and then regurgetated it since it could not eat her. Is this possible? If so what would you suggest? I know I should be closing the coop but is there another option? I don't live were the chickens live and they would be in the coop until I was able to get out to let them out(it is so hot right now I hate to lock them in). It may be the only option but I am trying not to kill them by having them die of heat exhaustion. This is my first summer with chickens and I want them to be as comfortable as possible but safe too.
Thanks for any help,
Stephenie in hot humid Oklahoma

 

[augiedranch]

snake. for sure!

one of my pigeons was found dead one time, just like u described, and it was a snake~~ yuck!!


it squeezed her and killed her, then started to swallow her whole, and either got scared and stopped, or in my pigeons case, it was too big to swallow, so spit her back out...


sorry for your loss.

keep the snakes away! they are very persistant, i have had many killed by snakes before.

 

[silkiechicken]

Slobbery to me means dog or snake. If the whole head is slobbery down to a large part, then I'd say snake. If it's just the neck and it's broken, I'd say dog. But if all fenced in and no hull breaches... probably a snake. Best of luck. Sorry for your loss.

 

[jenjscott]

Yes it sound just like a snake. Get snake away or sulfur powder around the run and coop area, especially the coop since night is the problem. Snake away is much more expensive and is just sulfur with oil of clove, cinnamon and eucalyptus added. Apparently they don't like the aromatics. It needs to be refreshed periodically and after a rain, so it can be a pain in a rainy climate. Make sure all openings no matter how small are sealed or have wire. Then you can concentrate on repelling around the door area. Good luck.

 

[4roosandahen]

ok, now I do not feel so bad that my chickens sometimes catch and eat snakes! I will cheer them on from now on.... better the chickens eat them(snakes) before the snakes eat them(chickens)!

Go chickens go!!!!

 

[augiedranch]

oh my gosh! chickens will kill and eat a snake??? wow,, i wish mine would do that