Lost my first Hen

[ebaribault]

Last night I lost my first chicken since I started raising them last March..
They have been free range all summer long without a loss so I thought they were magic chickens or something.
I know that they are happier free range and some losses are expected , but the kids will still be upset. Last month I had to cull a mean rooster, of course it was the favorite one.

Anyway thank you to all for the info I have learned in the last year
Ed
And could you please tell me what would just eat the meat off the neck and still leave the head attached ?

She is the black one in the front

 

[wendy]

sorry to hear about your chicken, is that a black star/black sex link?

i don't know what got her that would do that. maybe someone else has more knowledge on that. we have dealt with foxes and raccons here and neither did anything like that.

so sorry

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

Sorry to hear about your loss. Never a fun thing. Sounds like a typical hawk or owl attack. We have a little girl that was attacked by a hawk and it ripped all the meat and feathers from her neck. She did survive the attack but how we still do not know. And she is doing fine now other than a bit of ruffle to her feathers there.

 

[Duppydo]

Sorry you lost one of your hens, do you lock them up at night...? Was she killed in the coop...? The only flying predator at night would be an owl,if they were in there coop at night, maybe a weasel, rats...?

 

[ebaribault]

They are free range and she disappeared during the day. they are always locked up at night and nothing could ever get in the coop.
The next morning I found her with a giant bird nearby but she was frozen by then.
This is the coop and the only thing that could get in here is maybe a bear.

Oh yeah she is a black Australorp, she was so sweet liked to sit on top of my shoulders.

Thank you all for the replys

Ed

 

[cmom]

So Sorry for your loss. Last week I saw one of my girls next to the fence and I thought she was dusting but after looking for a few seconds and didn't see any movement. I went out to see and found her dead with alot of feathers up and down then fence line. I left for the hospital around 11am to pick up my husband who has been in the hospital. Before I left I gave the big girls some bread and all were ok. I got home at 2pm when I noticed the dead one. Why couldn't it have happened when I was home? I'm afraid what ever it was will be back so now they are all shut up in their run which is covered, and the pop door to their coop is getting shut every night now too. There were dog like footprints so it was a four legged critter probably either a dog(s), coyote or Mr. fox. I have a critter cam out now.

 

[ebaribault]

Lucky my chickens they won't come out side because of the ice and cold. I think the predator will stay away for a while. I will just keep a closer eye on all my girls. I guess the rooster eating all my food is just too lazy to chase the critters off.

Happy Holidays to all