Lost hen

[Co1353]

I have four RIR that are 10 months old. they have been doing very well in their pen. They were all from the same raised flock. I have no rooster. Eggs have been steady (3-4 per day). I found one of my hens dead, with noticeable injuries to the back. The pen is predator proof. I believe she was killed by another one of the hens (or maybe the three remaining). What would make the another hen do this? The only thing I've changed recently is placing a sheet of wood as a wind breaker on one side of the pen.

 

[sourland]

Do you have a roof on your pen?

 

[dekel18042]

Do you have a roof on your pen?

And a floor....and covered vents.....no cracks or small holes at all. Sorry, that sounds like a predator and some predators are very small conniving and sneaky.
Predators will always tell you where the weak spots are in your containment system.
Unless you have a roof, at this point I would suspect a hawk.

 

[sourland]

And a floor....and covered vents.....no cracks or small holes at all. Sorry, that sounds like a predator and some predators are very small conniving and sneaky.
Predators will always tell you where the weak spots are in your containment system.
Unless you have a roof, at this point I would suspect a hawk.

Me too.

 

[Co1353]

My coop is enclosed with 3 types of wire. The base has hard cloth buried 12 inches and 2 feet above ground. This also occurred during daylight hours