Eaten Tails? HELP!

[ResidentEvilRock]

My 6 week old White Leghorn pullets got attacked to day. 3 got their tail feathers eaten, and 1 got a piece of it's wing eaten. Of of the ones missing it's tail died. I saw no sign of entry as far as digging. The only way they could have gotten in was to be small enough to fit through the wire. Any suggestions? I have no idea what did it. If it had been a skunk, or coon it would have ate more than just the tails.

 

[mediazeal]

Have you checked carefully inside the coop to see if there is a possum hiding? Folks say the possum will hide and you don't know it's in there. Attacking the back end is usually possum.

 

[ResidentEvilRock]

In the day time though? I checked them around 10am before I went to work. I came back around 3 and they had been attacked. Whatever did this is a daytime creature.

Whatever it is and when I do find it, it won't be happy.

 

[ResidentEvilRock]

Anybody else?

 

[horsejody]

Could be rats. I hate rats. They will eat pieces off of live birds, and they can get in through ridiculously small places.

 

[ResidentEvilRock]

It has to be something small. They are cages in by 3 plywood walls. The only wire is the door and it's 2x4 wire. So it has to be something small.

 

[horsejody]

Quote:
Definitely sounds like rats. Mice can do that too if they are hungry enough. When I was a kid, I found some eating a live bunny in its cage.

 

[ResidentEvilRock]

Nevermind, cased solved. It's cannibalism. They are eating each other.... I'm separating them and taking out the hurt ones...

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

OH YUCK!!!! That's too bad.

At least it wasn't an unseen preditor invading.

I'm just curious what would cause chickens to pick on each other like that? Are they bored, hungry?????

My 11 wk olds have yet to pick on each other and want to keep it that way.

Good luck with yours.

 

[Clay In Iowa]

"White Leghorn pullets"

My mom had to collect eggs from 3,000 White leg hons when she was growing up. She always said they are the dumbest, meanest birds around and that they'll eat each other in a heart beat. That's why I got other breeds.