Lost Chicken

[jedmundson]

Help..we can not figure out how one of our new birds turned up killed inside the coop without the others being injured at all. There are no signs of any entry into the coop nor any way for anything bigger than the holes in the chicken wire to get in. Is it possible that the other chickens are responsible? We have never had this problem before and have been doing this for many years.

 

[gumpsgirl]

Oh my! I don't know. I am sorry for your loss though. I'm sure someone here might have an answer for you as to what could have happened.

We are glad to have you!

 

[silkiechicken]

Sorry for the loss. What did the injuries look like. Weasals can get though tiny tiny holes.

 

[SpottedCrow]

Didja just open the door and shove him in?
If so, the established birds could most certainly have turned on the newbie.

For future reference, Chicken wire is good for keeping chickens in, but nothing else out.

I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[jedmundson]

The head of the chicken was missing, the rest of the bird was intact. I am not sure I have seen a weasel here in Texas yet, but we do have a Raccoon that is living under our dock about 50 yards away. I have not yet been able to catch the thing, but I do not think he would to this little damage if he was able to get into the coop.

Last night they were all OK when we put them up in the house and closed the door for the night. Would a snake do something like this, we have lots of snakes.

 

[SpottedCrow]

Raccoon...danged things.
I had two chickens in a rabbit hutch and the boar only took one's head...so it's possible.

 

[Cuban Longtails]

Quote:
Snakes can not naw off a head, they will attempt to swallow a chick, but not a full grown chicken. If the chick is too large, they'll throw it up and the body tends to look bottle necked with the head and neck area slicked down from where it went into the snake's body.

It would have been the racoon or maybe a possum.

 

[jedmundson]

That is understandable, but I am perplexed on how the hunter got in and back out with little trace. The coop does have a hatch door above the laying boxes that is not latched, but it is pretty heavy. I will install a latch tonight to keep it shut.

 

[tiffanyh]

How new was the chicken?? Are you sure it wasnt the other chickens...I have come VERY close to loosing a hen that way.........when I posted about it I was suprised how many people had similar experiences.

 

[jedmundson]

Raccoons and possums we have an abundance of here. Do you think they could life the roof and crawl in? The house is inside a fences yard so the hunter would have to make it over this fence first, I would think a raccoon would have little trouble with that.