- Aug 28, 2009
- 112
- 6
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In early July a coon got in our coop and took a chunk out of one of our hens. We didn't know this happened, just that she was acting a little odd the next day and didn't come to the coop when it started getting dark like she normally did. The next morning, I found our other hen in the coop with a pile of her feathers with a chunk of skin attached to them. I searched her over and found her wound. In the meantime, we found the other hen and I found her wound, too. We treated the wounds and kept them in the garage until we could reinforce the coop and catch the coon that had gotten in there.
Last week my daughter brought the hen who was wounded first in the house and showed me that all her long tail feathers were gone. So I checked her over again and found a very strange place on her rump. It smelled just awful. It was very much like coon or possum poop...we've trapped them in our garage before and they always leave us a token of their appreciation so I know what it smells like. Anyway, the place on Shelly's tail was a huge reddish brown clump of foul smelling ick. It was hard and crusty. I filled a bucket with water and we sat on the porch trying to rinse the stuff off and find out more of what it was. As I was able to get a little closer to her skin, it seemed that underneath her skin was a more of whatever this was...it looked kind of green. But, it was causing her lots of discomfort so I did the best I could, intending to work on it more the next day.
Well, the next day came and we found her dead in the coop. The only part of her that had been touched was her back end and she was pretty much gutted. All her entrails were pulled out.
Any clues what might have happened? We put the humane trap in the coop for the next five nights and didn't catch anything. I've had several theories about what happened but we are not experienced chicken people so I don't have much experience to draw on. Right now I am concerned about our remaining hen and her safety. My husband went and really shored up the coop...put wire mesh across any gaps, re-wrapped the entire coop in netting but I know if something wants in it will get in.
Thanks for your ideas.
Last week my daughter brought the hen who was wounded first in the house and showed me that all her long tail feathers were gone. So I checked her over again and found a very strange place on her rump. It smelled just awful. It was very much like coon or possum poop...we've trapped them in our garage before and they always leave us a token of their appreciation so I know what it smells like. Anyway, the place on Shelly's tail was a huge reddish brown clump of foul smelling ick. It was hard and crusty. I filled a bucket with water and we sat on the porch trying to rinse the stuff off and find out more of what it was. As I was able to get a little closer to her skin, it seemed that underneath her skin was a more of whatever this was...it looked kind of green. But, it was causing her lots of discomfort so I did the best I could, intending to work on it more the next day.
Well, the next day came and we found her dead in the coop. The only part of her that had been touched was her back end and she was pretty much gutted. All her entrails were pulled out.
Any clues what might have happened? We put the humane trap in the coop for the next five nights and didn't catch anything. I've had several theories about what happened but we are not experienced chicken people so I don't have much experience to draw on. Right now I am concerned about our remaining hen and her safety. My husband went and really shored up the coop...put wire mesh across any gaps, re-wrapped the entire coop in netting but I know if something wants in it will get in.
Thanks for your ideas.