Dead 12 week old pullet .... who killed?

[gwright6]

Today I found one of my 12 week old pullets in the outside chicken run. This is a completely enclosed run with access only through the auto door to the coop. I have 40 nearly year old full grown hens and 21 - 12 week old chicks... The pullet made her way outside through the door and into the run. I found her body completely intact except for feathers missing. NO FEATHERS AROUND HER ANYWHERE..... I am thinking that my older girls pecked her to death and ate the features as they plucked them from her... Does this sound feasible? Has anyone experienced this sort of thing with older chickens and younger ones? I deduced that it appears that my girls did this because anything else would have pulled her apart ... see picture. Any comments would be appreciated.

 

[Mrs. K]

that really is not what I was expecting to see. Hmmmm

Often times you can get something called 'sudden death' it is rather a generic term for an unexplained, they were perfectly healthy, and now are just dead. I have had explained to me as the body out grows its ability to compensate for a genetic internal defect. Or a heart attack.

Thing is, she looks plucked, but no real wounds. If a bird is attacked by other birds, to the point of death, there usually are some holes in them.

Look at your other chickens - any blood on the beak? How crowded are you for space?

Not what I was expecting - be interested to see what others say.

 

[pennyJo1960]

See might have been older birds do look for blood on the beaks.
How many birds are your in your coop ? and what size is it please.

 

[gwright6]

that really is not what I was expecting to see. Hmmmm

Often times you can get something called 'sudden death' it is rather a generic term for an unexplained, they were perfectly healthy, and now are just dead. I have had explained to me as the body out grows its ability to compensate for a genetic internal defect. Or a heart attack.

Thing is, she looks plucked, but no real wounds. If a bird is attacked by other birds, to the point of death, there usually are some holes in them.

Look at your other chickens - any blood on the beak? How crowded are you for space?

Not what I was expecting - be interested to see what others say.

the coop is 600 sf with a 900 sf enclosed chicken run

 

[gwright6]

the coop is 600 sf with a 900 sf enclosed chicken run I will take your advice and check the beaks tomorrow . I have attached another pic of the bird and the my coop

 

[gwright6]

another pic of the chicken

 

[gwright6]

another pic of the chicken

sorry thought was a different pic.. thanks for your help i'll look for the bloody beaks tomorrow.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

That is crazy. I have never seen chickens do that to another chicken. Like mentioned above if they peck one to death they usually leave holes, they don't pluck feathers out. Is there anywhere she could have gotten stuck and panicked and ripped the feathers out trying to squeeze through something?

 

[CaretakerCarol]

I haven't seen chickens peck another to death - though I am sure it happens. However, I had an 8-week pullet drop dead close to the enclosure fence and the adult chickens came around and pecked at her dead body. This was caught on a ring camera, and when I went out the poor chick had no head.

It is possible that sudden death occurred and your other hens weren't quite as brutal as mine.

 

[gwright6]

it's time for a camera.