My adorable bantam Cochin was cornered and killed by my other chickens- devastated

[Ebicoe]

My beautiful bantam Cochin, Sassy, was attacked early this morning. I found her with her neck pecked almost completely off and her face eaten. They had also eaten her insides. This was my flock- not other animals. I'm just devastated! It was a horrible experience. She was attacked in her laying box, she was broody (I have 4 broody hens right now.) Sassy used to be strong, but then started getting dominated by a cranky rooster-acting hen. Sassy just always seemed to be picked on. She spent a lot of time in the protection of the coop. I would always make sure she had enough to eat- but every time she went out she would get picked on. I have 20 chickens: polish, lots of bantam, regular sized chickens and two very small bantam roosters. I don't know who killed her or attacked her, but I want to be absolutely sure that this never happens again. I was crushed. She was attacked in her laying box without any sort of mercy and then they ate her. It almost makes me want to get out of having chickens at all! I don't trust my flock- and now I don't like them either. They have plenty of space, food, treats. What went wrong?

 

[dekel18042]

My beautiful bantam Cochin, Sassy, was attacked early this morning. I found her with her neck pecked almost completely off and her face eaten. They had also eaten her insides. This was my flock- not other animals. I'm just devastated! It was a horrible experience. She was attacked in her laying box, she was broody (I have 4 broody hens right now.) Sassy used to be strong, but then started getting dominated by a cranky rooster-acting hen. Sassy just always seemed to be picked on. She spent a lot of time in the protection of the coop. I would always make sure she had enough to eat- but every time she went out she would get picked on. I have 20 chickens: polish, lots of bantam, regular sized chickens and two very small bantam roosters. I don't know who killed her or attacked her, but I want to be absolutely sure that this never happens again. I was crushed. She was attacked in her laying box without any sort of mercy and then they ate her. It almost makes me want to get out of having chickens at all! I don't trust my flock- and now I don't like them either. They have plenty of space, food, treats. What went wrong?

Welcome to BYC, but wish it were under better conditions. Yes, chickens can be unmerciful. I don't know what happened but some thoughts. You have bantams and large fowl together but the other bantams seem OK, and Sassy had been picked on? I wonder if she had some kind of problem the others sensed or if she could have died and was then pecked? One think you can do is if you see bullying going on and one hen seems to be the culprit, separate her for a week or so and then put her back with the flock. That might knock her down a peg or two so everyone gets along better.

 

[piximommy]

Oh I'm just hear broken reading this. I'm so sorry for your loss and under the horrific circumstances it happened. I'm new to BYC and am also a new chicken owner. My son's 1st grade class hatched chicks June 1st and we took home three chicks when they were only a few weeks old. We searched high and low for an affordable coop and finally lucked out in an amazing custom coop we bought used. It was father and son carpenters that had built the coop for their own flock. They delivered the coop and built us a spacious walk in enclosure! My dream was to own silkies so we went ahead and ordered an assortment of 6 silky bantams from my pet chicken. Our precious package arrived on August 5th. Our babies were only two days old. I'm so worried for when the time comes to introduce them to our flock of three "now three months old". Any advice on how to keep our silkies safe? Our others chickens "all though I don't know what breed they are" are standard size chickens not bantams. Ps. I had named one of our white silky chicks Sassy.

 

[Ebicoe]

My silkies have done really well with the flock. You never know how the personalities will mesh. There are some great threads on how to introduce new chicks to the flock. We haven't had problems. We've had Sassy in with this flock for over 5 years. The birds that killed her knew her well.

 

[Ebicoe]

Oh I'm just hear broken reading this. I'm so sorry for your loss and under the horrific circumstances it happened. I'm new to BYC and am also a new chicken owner. My son's 1st grade class hatched chicks June 1st and we took home three chicks when they were only a few weeks old. We searched high and low for an affordable coop and finally lucked out in an amazing custom coop we bought used. It was father and son carpenters that had built the coop for their own flock. They delivered the coop and built us a spacious walk in enclosure! My dream was to own silkies so we went ahead and ordered an assortment of 6 silky bantams from my pet chicken. Our precious package arrived on August 5th. Our babies were only two days old. I'm so worried for when the time comes to introduce them to our flock of three "now three months old". Any advice on how to keep our silkies safe? Our others chickens "all though I don't know what breed they are" are standard size chickens not bantams. Ps. I had named one of our white silky chicks Sassy.

Welcome to BYC, but wish it were under better conditions.  Yes, chickens can be unmerciful.  I don't know what happened but some thoughts.  You have bantams and large fowl together but the other bantams seem OK, and Sassy had been picked on?  I wonder if she had some kind of problem the others sensed or if she could have died and was then pecked?  One think you can do is if you see bullying going on and one hen seems to be the culprit, separate her for a week or so and then put her back with the flock.  That might knock her down a peg or two so everyone gets along better.

 

[Ebicoe]

That is helpful info on bringing down the bully by separating her. Sassy was alive and fine the night before. It just breaks my heart that she was attacked by her family and killed in her box while trying to hatch eggs. It's just heartbreaking. Her weakness was she was anxious and would make clucking noises of anxiety that the other chick the didn't like. I'm going to re-do the coop so little ones have places to hide. I'm also on a chicken hunt for whoever did this. They are getting the boot. I have a polish that could be easily attached too. Mean chickens get a one way ticket to another flock!

 

[the poppster]

Sorry about your Sassy....I isolate the broody hens...first with a removable nest cage I made...it can be screwed onto the nest box front....room for food and water...and enough for the hen to relieve herself....she can't get out unless I take her out....and no other birds can get in...she's safe from predators...other birds included...broodys can get terribly aggressive....I've had ones that puffed up and growled, but other then that you could pick them up and place them anywhere...they'd just sit there puffed up and growling when I touched them.....the flip side is the welsummer hen who SCREAMED....PSYCO-HEN!!!..When ever I entered the coop...I didn't even have to go near the nest box...just go into the coop...and she would let out a blood curtailing SCREAM...she would lash out at you if you put your hand by her nest...and if she got you she would hang on and twist...So I isolate them for their own good and for the good of the others....when the eggs hatch I immediately move the hen and her chicks to a specially built chicken tractor on the grass in the yard...within view of the other chickens, but out of harms way...till chicks are weeks old and mom starts to show interest in returning to the flock....when that time comes I transfer the family into the coop in the dark and give them a ground box to use...so far it's been pretty smooth sailing....more work, but nice easy stress free transitions.
I would be very upset if I had lost a hen in that way....don't blame ya one bit.