Hen randomly killed by other hens this morning

[Gabbyt618]

Hi y’all!
This morning I opened up my chicken coop and let all the ladies(6 hens, various breeds) out and fed them and everyone was doing great. I walk back out an hour later to check on them and one of them was laying barely moving and her entire head was pecked raw and I had to put her down. We’ve had all these ladies together for a couple of months now and have never had this happen. All the chickens are roughly around a year old. I was helping this specific chicken earlier this week because she was having some poopy butt and then all of a sudden they pecked her to death today. Can anybody help me understand what may have happened? I have no idea where we went wrong.

 

[Eggcessive]

It can be normal for chickens to peck a weakened or sick chicken. When I have a sick one, I will leave them with the flock until they start pecking or hurting them. Usually it is gradual, not just sudden like yours. Was she walking funny or having balance issues? Are there any bullies? I would spend a lot of time with them, watching the behavior. Separate any bully to a different place. Make sure to have 2 or more feeders and waterers spread away from others. Look over your chickens for signs of illness. If younstill have her body, you might want to do a necropsy, and look for any signs of illness. Sorry for your loss.