Chick dead with hole in the head :(

[Faverolles98]

Ok, so I will try to descrive the situation as best as I can.

I have a medium/small chicken coop with 9 chickens and a «maternity ward» with 5 4-week old chicks. I got a broody hen and she sat on 2 fertilized eggs. The first one got «attacked» on day 18.

Egg shells and blood on the wall, but no chick to be seen. With this kn mind I was anxious about the last egg. On day 21 when I entered the coop, I found only egg shells and no chick under the broody

I searched the coop but didn’t see any signs of the chick, also used a flashlight to look where the 4-week olds are.

The today (2 days later) I found the chick under the heated «mama hen» in the maternity ward. It was all fluffed up and looked healthy. Byt it was dead, and with one small hole on the side of its head!! No blood even…

Bear in mind the spot the broody sat was a bit up, and right over the maternity ward. There is a slight opening si maybe it fell down?

What could have happened??

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

Ok, so I will try to descrive the situation as best as I can.

I have a medium/small chicken coop with 9 chickens and a «maternity ward» with 5 4-week old chicks. I got a broody hen and she sat on 2 fertilized eggs. The first one got «attacked» on day 18.

Egg shells and blood on the wall, but no chick to be seen. With this kn mind I was anxious about the last egg. On day 21 when I entered the coop, I found only egg shells and no chick under the broody

I searched the coop but didn’t see any signs of the chick, also used a flashlight to look where the 4-week olds are.

The today (2 days later) I found the chick under the heated «mama hen» in the maternity ward. It was all fluffed up and looked healthy. Byt it was dead, and with one small hole on the side of its head!! No blood even…

Bear in mind the spot the broody sat was a bit up, and right over the maternity ward. There is a slight opening si maybe it fell down?

What could have happened??

Murder.

 

[Faverolles98]

Murder.

By the okder chicks yes? I juat keep thinking how it happened, dis mama hen not carw or was it an accidebt

 

[FrostRanger]

How big is your coop in square feet? Pictures would also be helpful both of your setup and the chick

It does sound like the chick was killed by either the broody herself or another bird in the flock

 

[Faverolles98]

How big is your coop in square feet? Pictures would also be helpful both of your setup and the chick

It does sound like the chick was killed by either the broody herself or another bird in the flock

It’s 2x2,8 meters. Broody was in a nesting box and the older chicks in their own brooder. The chick is dispatched now, bur it had a oretty small hole on the side of it’s head by the eye. No blood, notging plucked off or any other injuries. I bet it was the chicks caysing the hole bur I wonder if it was already dead or if thei killed it.. It was fluffed up and looked so healthy