Decapitated chicks inside cage?

[fanynany]

Hello, just yesterday i came home to a dead chick in its cage, it’s entire neck was exposed and it’s head tucked under the cage.
i went ahead and moved their cage and ensured there wasn’t space to crawl under, im not exactly sure where it’s body was as there is a few other chicks and mom and they scratch and move things.
Came home today, another dead chick, head hanging off, neck exposed and another chick has the back of head and neck area exposed and bleeding, i went ahead and took mom and her remaining kids and put them into another cage/coop.
??? are they getting their neck stuck? is mom pecking them dead?

i also had a hen with 3 chicks, two months old, unfortunately i do have to keep babies and moms in enclosed areas as there is cats and dogs nearby that are fiends for baby chicks.
i saw that she has started to be aggressive with them and desperate to leave her space so i decided to let her go back outside and and left the 3 on their own, they were doing good, 2 days ago or so i come home, 2 have blood and bald spots, 1 of them is entirely bald and swollen and bleeding also found a scab located above his crop earlier. disinfected with iodine and another solution .
i went ahead and separated them from the other two and have kept them separate since.

what is going on

(i’d also like to note that there is usually someone constantly watching them but there was a family emergency and had to leave for a few weeks, i attend school and work so it is difficult for me to be home before a certain time and be aware of what is going on)

 

[fanynany]

!BLOOD!

cleaned the chicks head w iodine and chlorexidine not sure if i should leave open or attempt to wrap, apply antibiotic ointment? looks rough poor baby (this is one of the babies who was with the ones who died)

 

[Prince and Pavo]

Hello! Yikes that looks pretty bad . That definitely looks like some sort of predator to me. If it was the hen or the other chicks that killed it, it wouldn’t be left without the head, or only the head. Since it’s only attacking the chicks I’d assume it’s smaller, probably a rat because they always go for the head or neck. Hope this helps and no more chicks get hurt!

 

[Prince and Pavo]

Make sure to keep food in a sealed container, as this is what rats are attracted to. When they find the food they will also kill chicks and steal/eat eggs. You could maybe try some traps or poison, but make sure you put it somewhere that the birds won’t get to it, because they can and will hurt or kill them.

 

[aart]

What mesh/bar size spacing is this cage?
Is cage in a secure run with other chickens, or out in the open?

 

[fanynany]

Usually we keep biscuit and her babies in a big pen , since i’m not able to keep an eye on them all day for the time being we moved them to a more “secure”
(or so i thought) cage, which is out in the open with the free roaming chickens, this is the netting

 

[sourland]

A predator could readily reach through that wire and injure/kill the chicks. May very well be one of the cats that you mentioned.

 

[Prince and Pavo]

Yeah, rats can probably get in through that. I’m pretty sure that they are what you’re dealing with.

 

[fanynany]

unfortunately too iffy to put rat poison out as i have cats, haven’t seen many rats around since i have cats, i’ve never seen them reach through the cage but might’ve been it

 

[fanynany]

and as for the other chick, im thinking it was the siblings but not entirely sure, have been cleaning and applying ointment, chick also has been separated from the rest.