Embarrassed and sadened. What actually happened?

[musikfan]

Good evening everyone. I hesitated to post this but let me give you the quick version so that you can give me some feedback. Last week I got really busy for about four days, and with the change in time and it getting dark earlier and me getting home in the dark, I forgot to check on my girls for almost four days. I have never missed a day, but with the time change and it getting dark earlier, it slipped my mind. I went out on the fourth day and opened the coop to find only three of my four buffs. The water had been upset and the food dish was pretty much empty. I found the one hen over in the corner wedged in behind the one nesting box, with pretty much the bottom half of her body gone. Needless to say, I was horrified and also felt terrible.

Did the other the hens peck her to death and eat her because they were hungry or because something else was wrong??

Please don't me upset with me, folks. Honestly, I have always doted over my hens and would never purposely neglet them. I felt absolutely horrible.

 

[sourland]

I'd be more concerned that a predator somehow accessed the coop.

 

[Bryce Thomas]

Yes it was definitely cannibalism, chickens will eat each other if they are hungry enough or lack of nutrients in the environment

Not to make you upset but its very likely your dead hen died a very slow and painful death, chickens don't have mercy for each other when it comes to eating eachother, and eating eachother alive is no exception

 

[Halfpasthen]

Oh gosh was the coop completely predator proof? I would assume a predator if that much of her was gone but it's totally possible for chickens to cannibalize each other if they're starving. Different beast entirely, but when I was a kid I spent a week at my grandparents and my parents didnt feed my hamsters and 1 cannibalized the rest.

 

[ChickenLeg]

Was there enough food to last more than one day? Ive never had mine cannibalize one another but mine havent gone more than a day without food. I too suspect a predator unless they went all 4 days without food and began to starve.

 

[musikfan]

I'd be more concerned that a predator somehow accessed the coop.

THe coop is enclosed with chicken wire and there was no evidence of anything tampering with the wire at any place that I could see.

 

[musikfan]

Was there enough food to last more than one day? Ive never had mine cannibalize one another but mine havent gone more than a day without food. I too suspect a predator unless they went all 4 days without food and began to starve.

Honestly, I don't think they were more than 3 days without. The last time i checked the food, there was enough to last them probably for a day.

 

[swampfox440]

When food runs out the rats get hungry and they will kill chickens, what started out to be a rat kill could have turned into cannibalism. Very hard to say but I would check for rat holes.

 

[Weeg]

THe coop is enclosed with chicken wire and there was no evidence of anything tampering with the wire at any place that I could see.

Chicken wire is not predator proof. Do you have Weasels in your area? Usually they kill for sport and will kill a whole flock, but thats one predator that can squeeze right though chicken wire.
Rats can get through it as well, and will attack chickens if they're hungry enough. That could be a definite suspect.

 

[Weeg]

When food runs out the rats get hungry and they will kill chickens, what started out to be a rat kill could have turned into cannibalism. Very hard to say but I would check for rat holes.

My thoughts exactly.