Chicken Murder-Need Advice

My son went to collect eggs tonight and he came back and told me one of our hens was dead.
I went down with him to see what happened. The chicken's rear end was all hollowed out and there were no entrails inside. I could literally drop an egg into the rear end and have it hit the rib cage.

Coop is fenced but there is are some spots where something small can get in. This happened betwen the time we let the girls out this morning and this evening.

Any ideas what may have happened?

BB

I had the same thing a few weeks ago. Lost about 6 over a week and a half time span. Figured it out in time to save the one who was to be next. They were killing each other. The bigger ones were picking away at the little ones rears until they broke through to their insides. The only way I figured it out was when I was feeding them and I saw it happening. I caiught the snall one and they were doing a job on her a peck at a time. They had almost broken through to her insides. I cleaned her with iodine and coated her with "purple Spray". I put her in another cage on my porch and she is fine now 2 weeks later. Wish I had realized what was happening before I lost so many. Thing I can't figure is that the first one to die was the biggest in the pen. Something else may have killed him and after they pecked his carcass it started a habit with them. Just a guess. Sorry for your loss.

Thanks.

I will keep an eye on it to see if that is the problem. Any idea what causes them to peck at each other?

BB

What kind are they? Some breeds are more prone to that sort of thing than others.
Pecking one another can be caused by many things. Nutrition, overcrowding, lack of feed, water, floor space, boredom, too much light etc. Sometimes it is hard to pin down what is causing it. I have read that if you hang a head of cabbage by a string at head height they peck it, it provides a diversion for them. You may also need to change the feed they eat, sometimes more protien helps.

And also trace-nutrient and salt deficiencies can add to pecking. And check them for external parasites.

This message was edited Jul 14, 2009 8:22 AM

Hi BronxBoy--you mention in the other thread that some of your chickens have bald spots at the base of their tails--this could be a sign of picking and the start of the cannibalism.

Thanks

BB