First I Saw Her Wide Open Vent... What Killed My Hen?

[chicknmania]

Sounds like a coon. don't know about the egg, but probably had to do with the coon, too. My
experience with weasels is, they might rip the head off, but they will leave it, and drink
the blood. Sometimes they will eat the innards but not the chicken meat.

So sorry for your loss. but maybe she was having a problem and that's why she was back there, you
are probably right about that. A radio set to a talk station, and turned off and on at intervals in the late afternoon and dusk, can help a lot as a deterrent for predators; you might want to put one out near the coop for a while after this, to discourage whatever predator it is from coming back.

 

[edselpdx]

Coon eat heads. We don't have weasels here, but the only one I've lost was to a coon, and only the head was gone. Dunno about the vent, but head missing is most likely a raccoon.

 

[klmclain1]

Don't be angry with yourself...things happen. I'd guess that at least it was fast. She didn't suffer. I'm so sorry for your loss.

I think it was really sweet that you didn't want the others to see her like that...

 

[annageckos]

A lot of predators will start with the head of their prey, especially if it is smaller(the prey animal). I am sorry to hear about you hen.

 

[QuinnP]

O my I am so sorry for your loss! I know they're just words but I am really sorry.
BIG HUGE HUGS!!