Mysterious deaths (warning, photos of dead chickens inside)

[BlindLemonChicken]

So i am keeping my mom posted on this because she is surrounded by so many predators and she says she doubts the scared to death theory too because she has watched a bear eat a rooster while a hen sat right next to it and silently watched.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Do you have pictures of the coop in place?

 

[NanaK]

I still don't know how the feathers got pulled so thoroughly on that one part of one of the chickens, but I guess that will always be a mystery.

If it happened during daylight, one or both of the surviving hens *could* have plucked the feathers???

If the bear did scare them to death (which I doubt because my mother lives in bear country and has had several raid her coops and never a chicken scared to death) that doesn't explain the missing feathers.

Are your mom's birds in a very small run/tractor?

So i am keeping my mom posted on this because she is surrounded by so many predators and she says she doubts the scared to death theory too because she has watched a bear eat a rooster while a hen sat right next to it and silently watched.

Different birds may react differently?? I don't know?

I'd love to know if she has anymore ideas. Bears are not plentiful in my area but are spotted occasionally. One was just this week spotted very close to me too. Never seen one on our property but it is partially wooded. If I went out to close up my coop in the evening a saw a bear, I'd be shakin in my chicken boots!

 

[KarynVA]

The feathers missing seems to be the biggest clue to what happened, but also the biggest disprover of nearly every theory! It's crazy.

The feathers being plucked after the death is an interesting idea, @NanaK But again, why only one of the corpses?

I will post a pic of the coop in place in a bit.

 

[KarynVA]

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

If it happened during daylight, one or both of the surviving hens *could* have plucked the feathers???



Are your mom's birds in a very small run/tractor?



Different birds may react differently?? I don't know?

I'd love to know if she has anymore ideas. Bears are not plentiful in my area but are spotted occasionally. One was just this week spotted very close to me too. Never seen one on our property but it is partially wooded. If I went out to close up my coop in the evening a saw a bear, I'd be shakin in my chicken boots!

No her run is huge but her coops are secure, homemade built on concrete. She has had several coops and runs in bear country over the years. Her idea is that something like a rat tunneled under somewhere

 

[NanaK]

No her run is huge but her coops are secure, homemade built on concrete. She has had several coops and runs in bear country over the years. Her idea is that something like a rat tunneled under somewhere

Yes, but in a smaller run they may would hit the fencing. In a larger run, maybe not. I have a large run too. The OP has a tractor so much smaller space. I don't know what has happened here, just my thoughts. I can see it being a rat as well, but no marks on the birds other than 1 with missing feathers and bear scat and landscape damage?? I hope they figure it out to keep the others safe.

 

[NanaK]

View attachment 3179622View attachment 3179623View attachment 3179624

This is really a darlin tractor. I see you took some time and care in building it. Just a thought...many use a hardware cloth apron around the bottom and out across the ground to stop digging predators, rats and snakes.
Hope you have no more problems.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I would be for moving each of those bricks (especially the ones with holes in them) and looking for evidence of rats or some other burrowing thing.

 

[NanaK]

Good call @BlindLemonChicken

The brick all the way to the right in that last photo looks like the soil has been disturbed a bit.