PLEASE HELP ME! Face being eaten? Beaks gone???? Help! GRAPHIC PICS!!!

[Smokin Silkies]

Over the last 3 weeks I've had 4 chickens that have had their faces eatin off? I don't understand whats going on. First it happened with a younger Black Silkie (maybe about 5 months?) He was in with with all White Silkies and a younger Lavender Silkie. I had first thought he was picked at but theres no blood or anything in the coop! AND the white chickens had NO blood on them. He was still alive and drinking/eating etc. Walking around just fine like nothing happened? Then my other pen of BBS had a Blue Silkie die yesterday (shes the only one that died, the others I put down) and this Blue Silkie died between 1pm and 8pm because I personally went down to the coops. Then this morning my younger Lav Silkie that was in with the Whites...her face is missing. I took pictures and I just don't understand whats going on!!! NO blood, no featherS, no beakS....NOTHING! The little Lav girl is the only one that had a LITTLE blood around her..but not much at all! I'm going to have to put her down because I don't even think shes able to eat. I don't see a tongue or anything! Her one eye is swollen closed/infected. Please help me!!!

 

[leadwolf1]

I've never seen anything like this before. How horrible for you. So sorry. However, could this be the work of rats? That's the only thing that comes to mind. Hopefully others with more predator experience will jump on this one. What I can't figure out is why they would sit still and let this happen. Good luck.

 

[sparkles2307]

is a 'coon grabbing them thru a hole and ripping?

 

[JulieNKC]

That poor bird! Rats are the only thing I can think of too. I hope you find out what is doing this.

 

[NewToFarming]

Oh My Goodness!!! That is terrible! I have no idea!!! How long did it take for it to get that bad? Are you saying within a few hours or days or longer??

 

[Smokin Silkies]

This literally happened overnight with 3 of them. The one that actually died yesterday died between 1-8pm! My coops sit about 3 ft off the ground and the windows are 4 ft or higher. I don't know how anything could get to the windows? I'm so confused!

Oh and my windows have 2 layers of chicken wire which don't seem to be damaged at all

 

[colebarnhart]

So this is happening during the night inside the coop? It's very weird, not sure what predator it could be or why they would just remove the face, not typical predator behavior. It doesn't make any since to me. Is it possible you have some weird neighbor or some disturbed teenage kid living close by that would do it? A hungry predator wanting food wouldn't just eat the beak. Rats nibble on toes, but they wouldn't just go after the beak either.

 

[Smokin Silkies]

I'm goin 2 go take pics of my coops right now

 

[NewToFarming]

Quote:
x2 - You would think a predator such as a rat would have more blood showing up too???

 

[char259]

That's horrifying. I hope you and find out what's happening. Poor birdies!!!! Poor you!!!