Decapitated

[Compora13]

Went out to our fully enclosed chicken coop and found a chickens body on one side and the head across the coop. Could it have been the other chickens..or would something have gotten into the coop, injure one chicken and leave? No other marks or injures to the dead chicken just decapitated

 

[The Moonshiner]

Went out to our fully enclosed chicken coop and found a chickens body on one side and the head across the coop. Could it have been the other chickens..or would something have gotten into the coop, injure one chicken and leave? No other marks or injures to the dead chicken just decapitated

Something else got in.
Every time I've had a simply decapitated bird it has been an owl.
Raccoons will decapitate birds too but when I've had that there was damage to the body also.

 

[Debbie292d]

Went out to our fully enclosed chicken coop and found a chickens body on one side and the head across the coop. Could it have been the other chickens..or would something have gotten into the coop, injure one chicken and leave? No other marks or injures to the dead chicken just decapitated

You said it got in a "fully enclosed chicken coop." A picture of your coop might help us help you predator proof it.

If you are using chicken wire, varments can get through that. I would inspect your whole area to see if you can see how it got in, either through digging, crawling, tearing through wood or a fence, or from above in some way. Use 1/2" hardware cloth to patch any holes in the fence or wood. When attaching it, it's best secured with screws and washers.

 

[Compora13]

You said it got in a "fully enclosed chicken coop." A picture of your coop might help us help you predator proof it.

If you are using chicken wire, varments can get through that. I would inspect your whole area to see if you can see how it got in, either through digging, crawling, tearing through wood or a fence, or from above in some way. Use 1/2" hardware cloth to patch any holes in the fence or wood. When attaching it, it's best secured with screws and washers.

We do have chicken wire, and the top where the roof attaches to the coop there is about a 1.5 inch gap that something could get in. I guess I was just confused whatever it was it only got one chicken, we have 15 chickens in the coop and run

 

[pennyJo1960]

You possible have a martin, weasel they have a thrill kill.
You may have scared before it got any more.
I am with the others hardware cloth not chicken wire.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

I was in a chat where the chicken owner had one decapitated and was adamant that nothing got in to their fully enclosed run. They kept thinking the chickens pulled it apart into pieces. But, then a few days later they lost another one in the same way and found a hole in a tarp they were using as a side to the run. It was a raccoon. It's not fully impenetrable if using a tarp, chicken wire, etc. If there are gaps larger than a 1/2" weasels and rats can get in. Raccoons can pull a chicken through chicken wire gaps and are masters at squeezing through spaces. One person I know lost chickens to raccoons that tunneled through cement! We take chances with our flock if we aren't using hardware cloth. But, also, I don't think any run or structure is totally safe if a predator is determined.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. It sounds like a weasel got in, but if it happened near the chicken wire, it may have been a raccoon. You should close up any openings with 1/2 inch hardware cloth wire.