What’s happened to my hen?

BlueTheBrahma

Songster
Sep 2, 2021
512
1,583
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This motioning, I found my welsummer hen sat in the corner of the pen and thought nothing of it. After I fed them, I noticed she hadn’t moved to eat. I then realised that her head had been stripped of feathers and she was surrounded by feathers. I picked her up, and moved her, and when I put her down I realised she had an injured leg as well. I can’t see any injury on the leg but she can’t use it properly and holds it behind her. Her right saddle feathers are also stripped and there is a little blood. I’ve put her back for now and to my amazement not a single other chicken is bothering her, I’ve yet to even see the rooster mount her. As soon as this happens, she’s out. I don’t really see her recovering, so will probably put her out of her misery. In the spot I found her, the wire had been chewed through, and behind it was an animal hole. It seems a bit big for a rat but also I’m not sure if it could be a fox. I’m in the uk so no raccoons. I can’t guarantee the tunnel and injury are related, but it seems suspicious. It could be rooster damage if he’s exploited her injured leg, but I’d expect some loss of shoulder feathers also. Any ideas?
Graphic warning if I need to put one.
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Tried to show scale with an egg box, just a little narrower.
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Hmm, I think if it was a weasel, fox or badger, a good part or at least that hen would be dead. I think she's being picked by the others in general and maybe a rat or something got to her last night. give her some sugar water for a perk up.
 
Hmm, I think if it was a weasel, fox or badger, a good part or at least that hen would be dead. I think she's being picked by the others in general and maybe a rat or something got to her last night. give her some sugar water for a perk up.
She wasn’t in this state yesterday, she had all her feathers then. So whatever happens it happened last night/early this morning.
 
Roosters will pull the feathers out of the back of the neck and head, and on the back when trying to mate.The others could have joined in. Perhaps she injured the leg or the rooster injured her, and they all starting attacking her because of her inability to walk normally. That can be common. A small predator also could have been involved, but hard to know. I would observe her and keep her separated inside a crate in the coop or run, unless you can be there. A game camera can be useful to see what is going on inside the coop. I would seal the hole and possibly put a wire apron around your coop floor.
 

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