Rooster or something else?

[AngryHummingbird]

For about a month or two we had been letting our 'gimpy' chicken out with the rest of the flock. Everyone free ranges during the day, so there was definitly enough room that she didn't get picked on. No previous wounds or missing feathers.

Today however, when I went to lock up for the night, I found her a few a few feet away from the coop with her neck, some chest, and some of her upper back fully de-gloved. ( After much blubbering, she was dispatched.)

My first thought was that this was one of the roosters. They're getting to be about three months old and a bit more rough and tumble. Just thinking now though, I can't see how they would cause this much damage without me being able to hear them squaking away. The house is 20 feet away and I always have a window cracked open for this very reason. The gimpy hen never made any noise herself, so I can see her getting attacked by something and me not hearing it, but the roosters are pretty dang noisy when they squabble.

So the real question: Is it more likely that I have an ambushing rooster or another predetor to worry about? I ask because the turkey pullets are in a tent while repairs on their coop are halted due to lack of funds. Knock on wood things have been ok so far- but if something's out there I'll be moving them into the house. (I reeeallly don't want them in the house when they're this big....)

And R.I.P. Gimpy...

 

[bloom_ss]

I honestly don't think a rooster would have done something like that. I think you have a predator hanging around your house and now that it has found chickens it will be back again I'm sure. So sorry you lost your chicken.

 

[nzpouter]

actually skin injuries are easily fixed on chickens..... was she still walking around ok..?

 

[AngryHummingbird]

Quote:
Knowing chickens, she probably could hve pulled though with some intensive care. Her quality of life was just so low before the attack it seemed kinder to let her go. She had one leg that was pretty much useless. She could get around, but it was tough on her and probably painful.

Also thanks Bloom, she sure was a sweet one.

Any ideas on what kind or size of animal would do damage like that?

 

[AngryHummingbird]

Lost another today. Stepped out for lunch with a neighbor, when I got back one of the smaller hens was dead with similar injuries. Skin missing from back of the skull to upper back. I'm pretty sure her neck was broken. I'm really beginning to suspect the roo's again. Either that or the turkeys. Noticed them fighting back today instead of turning tail.

Tonight I'll be moving the female cornish up to the layer coop. Even if it is a predetor of some kind, so far it only seems to be taking on the small birds- and not eating them. Hopefully with only roosters to go for it'll give up.

If it is the roosters, is there any way to figure out which one besides catching them in the act? We'd like to keep one or two back- but don't want to end up with a nasty one.


ETA- Instead of bumping topic up I figured I'd just add the closer here:
It was (thankfully?) one rooster, not mulitple. Just one particularily voilent b*****d. We caught him terrorizing another hen yesterday - thus he was quickly dispatched. (And tasted wonderful.) Said hen is missing quite a few feathers and a few chucks of skin. She's now in the 'ER' and seems to have perked up since yesterday. Prognosis is good!

 

[sourland]

Multiple roosters gang breeding hens are capable of causing such injuries.