Rooster is the predator!

[BreenyBeanie]

Lost a second chicken to a rooster today. I saw the first old girl getting ganged up on and couldn't get to her in time. At the time we had several roos and after we got rid of most of them things got quieter.
Today I went down to get eggs and there was carnage everywhere! Only thing left is the head, spine, wings and feet. She is completely gutted...no body left at all.
While I was trying to pick up the pieces a rooster kept hopping on her pieces and eating her! Some of the girls were pecking at her pieces as well.

Have my birds gone mad???? Will they eat their own kind????

The coop and run are like Ft. Knox...I looked everywhere for a sign of an intruder but couldn't see anything.

Thoughts?
Thanks

 

[CMV]

I am so sorry. You are seeing some of the worst of chicken behaviors. Cannibalism is hard to stomach.

A couple things could be going on. Are your birds too crowded? Do they have sufficient light? Do they have access to constant feed supply?

If none of those reasons could be applicable then you need to look at some other factors. Was the hen ill? Was she lowest on the pecking order? Could she have died (prior to the cannibalism)?

Chickens will eat their fallen comrades. They will also brutally attack any bird that is ill or injured. Remember, chickens are tiny dinosaurs. Their social hierarchy is pretty... unforgiving. Any weakness is usually a death sentence in a flock.

 

[bryan99705]

Quote:
x2 Something got her. possiblly a injury from the roo, from jumping down, or something internal that she ate and it killed her. The chickens will eat their own so either they finished her or they picked at a bloody spot till they opened up the carcass.

 

[terrilhb]

Chickens will attack and try to kill each other. I have a sweet hen that was being overmated. She was the favorite. I took her out and doctored her up and put her back. All was well. Went outside one night and my 1 rooster and some hens will literally trying to kill her. I saved her thank God. Got her healed back up and put her in with another rooster and flock the hens liked her and the rooster did too. But the rooster liked her to much. She now lives with another hen and my goats. Will not let her be hurt anymore. I am so sorry this terrible incident happened to her and you.

 

[FiveAcres]

I am sorry for your pain but thankful that you were willing to share what went on here so that otheres can understand when something similar happens..... Hopefully others can learn from this and avoid these same issues in the future....

 

[BreenyBeanie]

Wow...thank you all so much for your input!! It's crazy...I worked on chicken farms w/ 7000 laying hens and only saw the roos go after each other. Having my own little flock and seeing the aggression is really mind boggling. I had no idea that they would turn on each other. But I guess it's the "thinning of the herd' mentality.

The girl could have been old. We bought this farm and the chickens came with the land so we don't know anything about the ages. She was a thinner, scruffier hen and her back was getting plucked out pretty bad.

Again, many thanks for the help!!