What killed my chicks!!

[gabbondante]

So, my chicks are now 6 weeks old. They are a mixed flock - Barred Rock, Australorp, Red Sex Link, EE, Speckled Sussex. I had let them out around my barn while I rode my horse and cleaned stalls. Previously, I would let them out and stay with them. But, I figured since I was around that would be ok. I figured wrong. When I was finished, I went to check on everyone and found 2 of my girls - Speckled Sussex and Australorp - dead. Here's the wierd part - there was no blood around and they had not been eaten. My Dad helped me bury them and said that they looked like they had been pecked on their necks but that was it. The only thing I can think is that the starlings that nesting in my barn became very dominant and aggressive towards my chicks that were out near their nests. Has anyone ever heard of this happening!? I'm so upset and nervous now to let my girls out!

 

[PureyRockz107]

Was there anything that they could have climbed on? The only thing i could think of besides the starlings would be falling and breaking their necks...

 

[happyhens1972]

Starlings would not kill a six week old chick, it would be too big. More likely a rat maybe? Or is there anything toxic they could have eaten? The pecking may just be their siblings as once a chicken is dead, the others would peck at the body.

 

[gabbondante]

They were outside my barn in a pretty wide open area when I found them so I don't think they fell. I don't have any rodent poison in my barn so I don't think it was that, either. Good god, I really hope it wasn't a rat! That means I have MUCH bigger issues - but in the 15 years that I've lived on my farm, I've never had any rats. Field mice yes - rats no. That is why this is such a mystery!!

 

[finnfur]

Where are you located ?

 

[thechickenflock]

There is a very good chance it was not a rat, if you have field mice you don't have rats.

Is there a chance you have a mink? A mink will bite the neck of a chicken, drain the chickens fluids, and walk away.

Mink were partially the inspiration for the stories about dracula among other things.

 

[happyhens1972]

You may not have SEEN rats but I'd be shocked if you hadn't got them....there really aren't many farm set ups that don't have rats somewhere. If you haven't seen them, that's great, it means the population is at a good steady level but it doesn't mean they're not there. I would say rats are the most likely culprit.

 

[swenson1995]

both rats and mink will bite the heads off, have had it happen to me before

 

[gabbondante]

I am located in Southern NJ - Medford, to be exact. What is a mink?? I've never heard of such a thing. Do we have them in NJ? I do not live close to the woods - I live in a very open farmland area. I myself live on a small horse farm. The attack happened in the middle of the day, about 2 o'clock. I would be VERY surprised if I had rats - I am super serious about making sure my horse feed is closed tight, always pick up anything my horses leave behind. Also, I only have 3 horses so it's not a big operation. I do have field mice, but not rats. We did have a gopher that burrowed up into a vacant stall but... well let's just say my dog took care of that. And no, my dog did not get my chicks. Let's get back to the mink theory...

 

[happyhens1972]

A mink is a member of the weasel family, looks similar but is bigger.