GRAPHIC PICS---What part of the chicken is this?

[BeautifulPacificNorthwest]

I found this clump of feathers in the goat shed where my hens are trying to lay eggs. All total, it's about the size of my fist, with ten short (what I would call "undercoat") feathers.

From the color, I believe it is from one of my RIR hens. Maybe she was laying and a goat stepped on her and pulled out a clump of feathers. You can see from this picture, she was plucked pretty hard.

I would like to know what part of the body you believe this came from. I don't handle my hens very often (I know, I know I should...) so they aren't very easy to catch. Please tell me where to look when I inspect her, and how concerned I should be. It's cold where we are right now and there aren't flies so I'm not worried about maggots. Everyone is moving around fine, no one acting obviously injured. How should I treat this?
Thank you for your time and advice.

 

[sonew123]

Look right on her butt! that looks like the tip of where her tail feathers are!! it will probably be obvious when you see her and something grabbed her to yank that off! poor baby! let us know

 

[Higins00]

If you can't find the injured one now get a flashlight and look at them when they go to purch at night. I would look on the rump. Looks like it hurt.

 

[awesomefowl]

Looks like a tail. ew!

 

[chkn]

Usually that's about all I find remaining when a chicken has been predated or killed. I'd suspect you are having an unwelcome visitor in your chicken yard.

 

[WingingIt]

I'm thinking tail, too. Go do a head count real quick so you'll know if you have an injured chicken or a predator problem.

 

[dkosh]

I agree with the rest, It looks like the tail. Do you have hawks. Sometimes when they kill they will leave a small piece behind. I witnessed and attack that a piece was ripped off my hen. Good luck. I hope it was an accident and not a predator.

 

[BeautifulPacificNorthwest]

If it was a predator, it was unsuccessful, all chickens are present and accounted for thank goodness. I've heard hawks in the area, but never seen them attack my chickens. Would one go into a shed in pursuit?

I found the clump in the corner where they try and lay, in fact, there was an egg right by it. Odd...the clump, two similar feathers, and an egg. I'm wondering if my ornery pygmy goat maybe yanked on her? I did catch this goat once biting the ear of one of the other goats so I know she has a mean streak in her. Whatever happened, it was pulled out in a mass.

I did notice one RIR limping slightly so I caught her and inspected her. I can't find any injuries. Her tail is intact and there's no obvious "bald" spot.

Who knows?

 

[classicsredone]

I don't know...I've had Pygmies and I'd think it would be a little more...chewed if a goat did it. It's possible, though. My husband had a hawk take his full-grown cat as a kid, so they're always a possibility, too. Could she have gotten scared and caught herself on anything in that area?

 

[BeautifulPacificNorthwest]

No. Nothing in the area to get caught on. Smooth sided walls without hooks or snags.
It's a true mystery.