TIA!!!
Found one of our favorite girls this morning and would appreciate any advice about what could done this, mainly to rule out that she was killed by another in the flock. We have a mixed flock, 2 barred rocks, 2 golden comets, 2 easter eggers, 2 silver laced wyandottes. We live in North FL and some of the girls are ugly molting and we've had inconsistently hot/cold weather. The golden comets where born Feb '16 and the others all 1-2 years older. The run is a 10' x10' dog kennel with covering and there is an attached coop (plus run area) that adds 25 sq ft. The coop area is pretty fortified but the run has larger chain link (standard dog kennel). The chickens free range most afternoons, as long as we are home.
Over the summer we made a big mistake and put the younger golden comets in with the big girls too soon and one golden comet was pecked to death quickly and another so badly injured(both on necks) we were concerned she wouldn't make it (she did with lots of doctoring, yay). After that incident we kept the two remaining golden comets in our smaller coop/run that is about 25 sq ft, but all are let out together.
Less than a month ago, we were concerned the wyandottes (biggest birds) were bullying the others and we put those two in run alone and golden comets in gen pop and things appeared fine. We fed the chickens around 9 last night when my husband came home with feed and filling the hoppers woke the birds up and they came out of their house and into the run. I found the dead golden comet up next to the fence of the run this morning.
Neck missing lots of feathers but no apparent break in skin.
Inside body cavity dug out from bottom.
Surprisingly little feathers, most feathers around are from poor ugly molting barred rock.
Would chickens cause the kind of injuries found or did a predator take advantage of the chickens coming down and grabbed her? Concerned about aggression because when I immediately let the chickens out so I could "take care of her", one of the larger easter eggers attacked one of the wyandottes and they looked like roosters fighting I had to break it up with the hose. Easter Egger was put up for an hour and then let back out and all have been foraging without incident today. Maybe just stress from a predator event??
Thank you again!!!!
Found one of our favorite girls this morning and would appreciate any advice about what could done this, mainly to rule out that she was killed by another in the flock. We have a mixed flock, 2 barred rocks, 2 golden comets, 2 easter eggers, 2 silver laced wyandottes. We live in North FL and some of the girls are ugly molting and we've had inconsistently hot/cold weather. The golden comets where born Feb '16 and the others all 1-2 years older. The run is a 10' x10' dog kennel with covering and there is an attached coop (plus run area) that adds 25 sq ft. The coop area is pretty fortified but the run has larger chain link (standard dog kennel). The chickens free range most afternoons, as long as we are home.
Over the summer we made a big mistake and put the younger golden comets in with the big girls too soon and one golden comet was pecked to death quickly and another so badly injured(both on necks) we were concerned she wouldn't make it (she did with lots of doctoring, yay). After that incident we kept the two remaining golden comets in our smaller coop/run that is about 25 sq ft, but all are let out together.
Less than a month ago, we were concerned the wyandottes (biggest birds) were bullying the others and we put those two in run alone and golden comets in gen pop and things appeared fine. We fed the chickens around 9 last night when my husband came home with feed and filling the hoppers woke the birds up and they came out of their house and into the run. I found the dead golden comet up next to the fence of the run this morning.
Neck missing lots of feathers but no apparent break in skin.
Inside body cavity dug out from bottom.
Surprisingly little feathers, most feathers around are from poor ugly molting barred rock.
Would chickens cause the kind of injuries found or did a predator take advantage of the chickens coming down and grabbed her? Concerned about aggression because when I immediately let the chickens out so I could "take care of her", one of the larger easter eggers attacked one of the wyandottes and they looked like roosters fighting I had to break it up with the hose. Easter Egger was put up for an hour and then let back out and all have been foraging without incident today. Maybe just stress from a predator event??
Thank you again!!!!
