Dead pullet

[Majik]

This evening when I went to feed them, I found my 5mo old barred rock pullet dead. When I went in to take her out I saw that the other had pretty well eaten her from the chest up. She was completely healthy. I moved her and her sibling into the coop about a month ago, before that they were in a tractor next to the run, with chicken wire separating, and I would let those two out to free range along with the rest of the flock. So they were all pretty use to eachother. In that coop I have a small rooster, a year old hen, the two 5mo old barred rocks, and three 4mo old chicks. I usually let them out to free range, though not always, and there never seems to be any excessive fighting, today I didn't let them out. There was no signs of an outside predator, I haven't had one get into the coop or run yet. All the others seemed fine too. Could this have been the rooster trying to mate her too early and drawing blood, which attracted the rest of them to her?

 

[nuthatched]

That's rough.
What type of coop do you have?
That's sounds like a predator, such as coons.

 

[Bleuberry]

Awww so sorry. It hurts so to lose one .

 

[Majik]

That's rough.
What type of coop do you have?
That's sounds like a predator, such as coons.

Well, we used the frame of a metal bunk bed and put metal around all sides, and the doors have hardware cloth on them. The run is just chicken wire, but there's no signs of anything breaking in

 

[Rose Quartz]

I free range my older birds with my young birds too. At 5 months I really cant imagine there being that much of a fight with them being mixed in together and kept in the coop+run area for a day. Though it's not impossible.

I have had a rooster kill a hen before trying to mate, but there was a significant size difference, the rooster was about twice the size of the hen.

Chickens peck at others when they've died and they are carnivorous so if there's meat around from pecking at a body, they'll eat it, even if it is their friend.

Just to be sure though look around the floor of your coop and see if there's any evidence of a predator digging in.

 

[nuthatched]

Well, we used the frame of a metal bunk bed and put metal around all sides, and the doors have hardware cloth on them. The run is just chicken wire, but there's no signs of anything breaking in

Lots of things can get past chicken wire, it could be rats or other rodents.

 

[NatJ]

Well, we used the frame of a metal bunk bed and put metal around all sides, and the doors have hardware cloth on them. The run is just chicken wire, but there's no signs of anything breaking in

Is the top covered? If the run has an open top, then an animal could have climbed in without leaving any traces, and climbed back out afterward.

 

[Majik]

Is the top covered? If the run has an open top, then an animal could have climbed in without leaving any traces, and climbed back out afterward.

Yes it is

 

[Majik]

I free range my older birds with my young birds too. At 5 months I really cant imagine there being that much of a fight with them being mixed in together and kept in the coop+run area for a day. Though it's not impossible.

I have had a rooster kill a hen before trying to mate, but there was a significant size difference, the rooster was about twice the size of the hen.

Chickens peck at others when they've died and they are carnivorous so if there's meat around from pecking at a body, they'll eat it, even if it is their friend.

Just to be sure though look around the floor of your coop and see if there's any evidence of a predator digging in.

Ya they've been living together for a month now. There's been some dominance from my hen, but nothing brutal. The rooster I think is actually smaller than the pullet was, but I'm wondering if it was him because I have seen him grab the back of necks before. Once while getting my younger rooster to stop messing with a chick, then more recently to a different 4mo old pullet while free ranging, he wanted to eat where she was eating so he grabbed her neck and held on for a few seconds (she's my favorite so I rushed over to stop it)

 

[Majik]

Lots of things can get past chicken wire, it could be rats or other rodents.

I'll do a more thorough look today to be sure. I did check the rest of her body over for wounds, but the rest of her was fine, it was only from the chest up, so if she had one there's no way of telling now