Our first chicken death

[FortCluck]

I would definitely get a trail cam to make sure that your chickens are safe. I would also call the authorities because no one should be killing your livestock, that is a felony! I do not take very kindly to people killing animals for no reason especially when it's a poor defenseless chicken! I'm afraid that they may try again and it may be because that they don't like them, but that still does not give them a right.

And this is not part of raising chickens, most people don't shoot people's chickens. I have honestly never heard of someone doing this before, but if it were my animal I would be waiting for them and they would not like the consequences of entering on my property.

I'm very sorry for your loss

 

[SurferchickinSB]

We went out this morning to find our sweet little rescue hen dead in the back yard. I'm still in shock. She has been such a good girl. She laid the very first egg we collected! Her feathers were finally growing back in (she arrived really roughed up by an overeager roo three times her size).

The most frustrating part about losing her, is knowing it was a two legged predator. She was shot with a pellet gun.

We do live in town, but in an area of older houses on 1/2 acre to over acre lots. Our yard is just under 3/4 of an acre. We've had the birds here since May, and not one neighbor has complained. Our fence is not perfect, but quite secure, and aside from one isolated and witnessed freak out, our girls have stayed in the yard, and haven't bothered anyone that we've witnessed or anticipated. The girls free range all day, and go to their coop at dusk.

This particular girl couldn't be cooped with the others (we tried many times). She was just too passive and got picked on, pecked, and plucked. So she had her own safe place. She'd always been a free ranger in her prior life, and had always been extremely savvy about aerial and four legged predators.

We found her on the ground, about ten feet from her hut. It looks like she'd just been minding her own business, doing chicken things. One small entry wound, no exit wound. She was shot in the thigh, so she suffered, and I feel absolutely sick about it.

I know this is the dark side of raising and loving chickens, but I wasn't ready to say goodbye.

That is so horrible! If I was you I would set up a camera, predators tend to come back when they know there is more prey. I am sure the same goes for human predators.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I'm so sorry for this odious turn of events.

 

[Pickled Plaid]

Thank all of you so much. It's been a quiet and sad day at our house. I let everyone free range well after the street lights came on (the grasshoppers were jumpy tonight and everyone waddled to bed with nice full crops).

It's hard to not feel both terribly violated, and like a dismal failure as a caretaker.

She was just the sweetest, most shy, beautiful soul. She would gobble little tidbits from my hand as if I'd take them away from her, and she would streak across the yard in a flappy ball of happiness if given a little cherry tomato (she preferred to eat them in private).

I did three separate bed checks tonight. On my final one, I gently picked up my favorite Orpington, held her to my heart, and quietly begged her not to get shot too.

I was never, ever a bird person until we got chickens. But these fluffy Raptors have stolen my heart.

 

[glassdragonfly]

So sorry! Her death is NOT your fault! It is the doing of a scumbag that has no respect for life! You obviously love your flock and take great care of them. Keep watch,human predators are the worst!

 

[aart]

She was shot with a pellet gun.

Did you find the pellets in her body?

 

[cmom]

If they try it again maybe you can get their picture. I have several cameras like this one all under different manufactures names but all are identical and take great day and nighttime pictures. It runs on 4 but takes 8AA batteries.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CGMQTDK/?tag=backy-20
We have a lot of coyotes here. These are different cameras but identical to the one in the ad. Here most of the predators roam at night.

 

[cmom]

Here is an early morning shot. There is a coyote standing in front of the sun.

 

[john_wrightson2003]

there's a place in hell for scumbags who get there jollys hurting such a sweet little hen just living her life not hurting anyone.god takes care of his own your babys with him now and i'm sure god will repay that scum bag 10 fold.

I am truly sorry for your loss! And I love this response, @birdhelper84 thinks just like me!

 

[koko365]

I'm very sorry for your loss. I'm new to chickens and lost two baby chicks recently.