Our first loss...any advice appreciated

[aart]

Re: aart
We're in Victoria BC Canada, and the 4 girls were free ranging at the time. It's a big property with the coop way at the back. Wound was in the stomach/bowels, not really "eaten" or even that messy, but lots of feathers underneath the poor girl. The part of the attack that makes me wonder if it was a racoon is that it was in a secluded corner of the yard, tucked between the compost and bamboo. Not a prime spot for a bird to get her.

I was asking the OP sezjasper...guess I should have quoted the Original Poster to make that clear.

 

[aart]

duplicate post deleted

 

[sezjasper]

Thank you to everyone who replied and is trying to help...I want to address each post separately but before I get started I just want you all to know how much I appreciate all of you.

 

[sezjasper]

Need better description of the wound, where when it happened, when it happened, coop and run construction.

Going to start with the hardest one...ok first of all, our coop and run construction really doesn't apply. The girls were free ranging in our yard as they do every day unless the weather is horrible. I keep the coop and run open for them during the day so they can come and go for food, water and to lay their eggs, but most of the time they spend roaming the yard. My yard is really small. When it happened...my best guess between noon and four. Where it happened...we have an area between the fence and my sun room, it's about five feet wide and about fifteen feet long. The girls spend a lot of time there. It's like a flower bed (or it was until the chickens came along...now it's a giant dust bath). There are two large plants/bushes, one at either end...a philodendron at one end and something else (don't know what it is) at the other end. In the middle is a bit of open space except right in the middle I have a shephard's crook sort of thing with a bird feeder on it. Raven was laying in the open area near the bird feeder. She lost all of her neck feathers, they were scattered about four feet out all around her. Her neck was stretched out about as far as it would go and (oh god, this is awful...) it was picked clean, I could see the bones. I hate to say it, but the other girls were pecking at her, I had to keep shooing them away. What I didn't see was blood...none...and it's weird because I wrapped her head and neck with paper toweling when I picked her up...with my bare hands, and I had no blood on the towels, none on my hands, and I was sitting with her stoking her feathers until I finally wrapped her body and her feathers were as clean and soft as they always were. I don't think she was dragged at all. I hope this can give you some clues, thank you for caring.

 

[sezjasper]

sure sorry about your rir. it's so awful when we lose these chickens. i'm going to guess Not hawk. the one hawk attack i had, there were feathers everywhere as if it hit the bird in a blitz attack. also, i would think the hawk would have eaten some out of the breast if no one was around at the time.
what about a weasel type animal. could get through the fence & they're incredibly predatory.
again, sorry for your loss

Thanks for replying, bj...I admit I never even thought of a weasel but marvun22 mentioned them too, maybe you're on to something. After giving it some thought I also wonder if a hawk is responsible, based on where I found her (see last post); a hawk would not have gotten a clear shot at her. As for weasels, I will have to do some research to see if they are in my area...I know nothing about them, don't even know what they look like (but already know I hate them...)

 

[sezjasper]

Maybe a cat? They just kill and dont eat them. Sorry

I can't believe a cat would do this...but then again, that's their nature. What makes me think "no" is Raven was a big girl...don't cats generally go after things smaller than they are? On the other hand...I know that my neighbor (the one who was kind enough to dig the grave for me) has two cats and he lets them run. A couple of the other neighbors are really getting ticked off about it, too, and one of them has let it be known he is ready to "take care of the problem" himself. I'm working all day so I don't see the cats. Of my four chickens, Raven would be the least likely to fight back against anything...she was very shy and gentle.

 

[sezjasper]

Sorry for your loss; In my dealings with birds of prey, there is always feather evidence - while I haven't lost a chicken to one because we have covered the run areas, I have seen them take out mourning doves in our yard. It sounds to me more like a cat. Whatever it is, now they have 'tasted' blood so to speak, they will be back - you may want to reconsider free range unless you are in the yard with them....

Cats are getting alot of votes. I'm so surprised by this. And yes, I am giving serious thought to letting them free range. Thank god, today we had monsoon rains and the girls spent most of the day in their coop and run. I could keep them safe without the guilt. But I am considering my options for another run...a BIG one...looks like a trip to Home Depot to see what's available to someone with very limited skills for a quick fix. I worry about keeping my girls in their current run all day because when they're in there, they make a lot of noise to get out...and unfortunately, my HOA does not allow chickens. Makes me feel pretty selfish...do I risk my chickens' lives, or risk having to give them up? To complicate the matter, I have five chicks in the brooder right now. I'd like to say I'd move rather than give up my chickens, but that's easier said than done when you're not renting.

 

[JanetS]

Whatever it was will be back for more. Don't think because you have a fence that something can't jump over it. We have a 6 ft wood fence that a
bobcat easily jumped over to get one of our hens while they were free ranging. We not longer let our chickens out of their pen because the bobcat has been back many times. Do you have a game camera? This is a good way to see what is moving around in your yard. Trying to keep chickens safe can sometimes be a full time job.

 

[sezjasper]

i would hate to imagine this but it could be either a weasel or very unlikely another chicken. with my chickens, when one chicken picks on another that's where its pecked. but when one chicken kills another im assuming it is pecked over time and then it eventually starts bleeding and the chickens would then peck at the open wound. i have to admit though, my chickens are not pecking at a chicken who has racoon ( definitely not your problem, they leave a bloody mess) damage. weasel sounds like my best guess.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my girls were picking at poor Raven...but I really don't think anything like that was going on prior to her being attacked. But I did read something about weasels, how they will decapitate a chicken...this didn't happen to Raven, but close to it. So maybe that's it.

 

[sezjasper]

Whatever it was will be back for more. Don't think because you have a fence that something can't jump over it. We have a 6 ft wood fence that a
bobcat easily jumped over to get one of our hens while they were free ranging. We not longer let our chickens out of their pen because the bobcat has been back many times. Do you have a game camera? This is a good way to see what is moving around in your yard. Trying to keep chickens safe can sometimes be a full time job.

Thank god, bobcats are not something I have to worry about. Where do you live? No, I don't have a game camera...wouldn't have the first clue how to install/use one, either. Also probably could not afford it. I'd be more likely to spend the money on materials for a really big covered run...peace of mind for me AND fun and recreation for the girls. Bad luck for my hens to land in a single-mom family on a budget.