What killed my hen? (Warning graphic)

[fluffymuffinbutts]

Who is the culprit here?

We allow our chickens to free range and we lost this one right around dusk. Missing feathers all over head and neck. And deep gashes on neck and back of head. Body was otherwise intact. Feathers all along fence where I’m guessing she tried to get away…my first guess is this a hawk? Someone had suggested an overzealous rooster? Or getting beat up by flock mates? I did notice a few of my rooster’s feathers in the area but he’s young just around 5 months and I haven’t seen him be aggressive or even try to mount any of the hens yet. It would be nice to think that maybe the roo tried to help her :/ We did see a hawk fly through just that evening but it’s not uncommon to see in our area and for some reason we haven’t had an attack until now.

This hen was quite the straggler when it came to getting into the coop on time…none of the other chickens seem traumatized at all so I’m guessing they were all in the coop already when it happened.

With free ranging we expect losses but definitely still beating myself up over this since we had just recently removed a lot of the foliage in that area with the intent to create a garden. If she had been able to run into the brush she’d probably still be here. I also wish I had trimmed the feathers around her eyes :/

 

[SmiYa0126]

Do you have any other silkies? Check for blood on your flocks beaks. They may be the culprits. Was her body warm when you found her?

Hawks grab them by the back and carry off, foxes pounce, bite their behinds and also carry them off.

 

[fluffymuffinbutts]

Do you have any other silkies? Check for blood on your flocks beaks. They may be the culprits. Was her body warm when you found her?

Hawks grab them by the back and carry off, foxes pounce, bite their behinds and also carry them off.

I do have other silkies who are all hens as well as full sized hens of other breeds but I’ve never seen them fight or even try to peck each other before.

I’m wondering if the hawk might have killed her on the spot and didn’t have time to finish her as my husband came out shortly after it happened? We were out there hanging out with the chickens and within an hour of that we went to close the coop and found her dead.

 

[SmiYa0126]

Maybe she was injured by the hawk and then the other chickens attacked... Are there any scratches on her back?

 

[SandyRiverChick]

I'm so sorry. I'm not going to be very helpful but just wanted to let you know this exact same scenario happened to me for the first time in 20years I lost one to "something," just before lock up. When I described it everyone said "dog." But that's for sure not it. I thought maybe Hawk or Owl.... It was 6months ago and I still have no idea. I put up a nightcam and all I got on it was a racoon trying to climb my run really late one night. It gave up and I immediately stopped leaving food out at night for my feral cat and have never seen it again. Hope you figure it out.