Mrs. Puff R.I.P. Prime suspect is Myrtle?

[Desert Peep]

I had something strange happen last night about 3:30 AM. I was awakened last night by the sound of my 3 dogs crashing through the doogie door which is in my master bathroom. As I followed them outside I noticed that the girls were in the run (I forgot to close their pop door before going to bed). Nobody was squawking of making a scene. As I did a head count, Mrs. Puff one of my BO's was missing. There she was on the floor of the coop twitching. I ran and turned on the patio lights and got a flashlight. Mrs. Puff was dead by the time I got back. Her only visible injury was to the back of her neck which was bleeding. I just wanted to cry for being so stupid and not checking the pop door before going to bed. The only thing that was different last night was that this was Myrtle's first night back in the "big girl coop" after separating her from her 4 week old chicks. She was raising 3 chicks and I was raising 3 chicks in a brooder. I introduced all the chicks to each other yesterday and removed Myrtle from the new flock and put her back with her flock. Could Myrtle have killed Mrs. Puff? What would bite a chicken on the back of the neck, killing it, yet not stir up the other girls? The only other critter that I've seen around/in the run was a squirrel. Any ideas?

 

[Shireshome]

Judging just by the reaction of your dogs, I would say something was out there trying to get the chickens. I doubt your dogs would have even moved an inch if it was just two chickens fighting, and you said no one was squawking. Also I highly doubt two chickens would get up at 3:30 am and duel it out, they usually wait till morning. No, I vote that it was a coon, possum, skunk, somthing along those lines. Can you tell me, the injury to her neck, is it a bite mark with teeth? Or more of a scratch? was her neck broken? My best guess by what you have written is that you have a pop door that leads to the coop from the run that you forgot to shut, something got into the run and grabbed a bird, in this case Mrs Puff, and took her into the coop to eat her. Something spooked the predator and it either was out before you could get there or it was in the coop and took off after you went back for a flashlight. BTW: at night, when a predator comes to get a chicken, the other chickens don't usually stir, mostly they just go into shell shock and freeze for fear they are next.

 

[sourland]

Since chickens are not active in the dark, it is very unlikely that Myrtle is the guilty party. Many predatory species go for the neck/head for a quick kill. I think that whatever killed her was interrupted by the arrival of you and your dogs. Be sure to lock the coop from now on. Whatever it was now regards your place as an all you can eat buffet and will return.

 

[Desert Peep]

Thanks for your replies. I just feel so bad that I didn't close the pop door; I usually do. I couldn't tell if it was a bite or scratch marks and her neck did appear to be broken. Poor Mrs. Puff. I will not be careless anymore about checking the pop door.

 

[sourland]

It's a lesson well learned- one that many of us have experienced in the past.

 

[Watermelon_Gypsy]

I'm so sorry!