AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

Hi Everyone,

My little lavender pekin hen was killed today!

My little girl and I let her out of the pen about 8am today, and laughed because she has been broody lately and she was just creeping onto two eggs that had been laid by one of the silkies. She was happy and healthy and flew out of the pen to join the rest of the flock scratching around.

I was in the shower at about 10am and heard a bit of a kerfuffle outside, so got dressed and went quickly outside to see what was happening.
All of the chooks looked okay up near the pen, then I turned around and saw Pecky lying dead near our house! I thought that explained the uproar I had heard, but when I picked her up she was already stiff and cool, so she had been dead for longer than the time it had taken me to get outside after hearing the noise.

She was lying on her side, with her neck twisted underneath her and her beak was full of dirt as if she had struggled with her head down. Her eyes were shut. I couldn't see any wounds or blood, and there were only a few feathers lying around. No dogs have access to our yard, and I thought it may have been a hawk (although we have a lot of tree coverage and haven't ever seen any around). We do have cats next door but I've never seen them in our yard, and thought if it was a predator it would probably have tried to carry her off rather than attack and leave her right next to our garage.

Another thought was maybe a rooster was over-enthusiastic and smothered her, but that seemed unlikely. Our usual lavender pekin boy was out, but he was busy trying to kill an "invader" in the shape of a new mealy/birchin pekin boy who was caged up near the main chook pen. I had let a new birchin cockerel out (about 5 months old), but he was terrified of everyone and seemed to be hiding up behind the main pen well away from the house. The only thing I could think of was that the birchin had snuck down near the house to have his way with the little hen, the lavender boy spotted him and they fought on top of the little lavender hen, smothering her in the dirt - but the birchin seemed way too unsure of himself to go looking for trouble on his first morning out!

Another option was a spider/snake bite, but she seemed to have died violently with her head twisted to the side and her beak full of dirt.......

I was sorry to lose her, but just glad it wasn't one of my little girl's favourites - now I'm worried about all of them!!!!!

very unusal?sorry cant help here but if it was a hawk there would be blood

Being that she was broody what type of attitude did she have? I mean was she a cranky broody?
I wonder if the cat next door may have popped over for a visit, the broody, territorial pekin tried to tell the cat to get lost, the cat didn't like this, grabbed it by the throat and you disturbed it when ya came outside? (my male staffy grabbed a cockeral today and didn't even leave a mark ) we stopped him in time and the cockeral is ok.

That's my go at being a detective

Hi Darren,

No, she wasn't very aggressive usually, but that's not to say it still couldn't have happened.

I just hope it was a one-off and the others will be okay.

Deb

Oh Deb! You must be devastated to lose you little lavender hen. I am so sorry. And they are not easy to come by.

I had a commotion in my vegie garden the other afternoon when I had Megzie out with the black pekin cockerel and the 6 little pekin cross pullets. I wen down to find them all hiding and they came out when I called them. I could not find 2 of the little pullets but eventually found one hiding right down against the wall at the back of the silkie pen and another down hiding under some old building stuff near my hay shed, outside the vegie garden. She had some blood on her face from a small cut. I think something had tried to take her. Something like a hawk or crow. But something had scared them terribly. They were all Ok the next day and just came out and scratched around in the garden but I have kept a close eye on them when they are out The girls are 18 weeks old so nearly grown but something still tried to take them.

I don't think the roosters tried anything. If there was a big rooster out like Larry L/S roo. He might have hurt her because of his size but I don't think the pekin boys would have hurt her and I think she would have got out of their way if they were fighting. I would put my money on a bird of prey of the neighbours cat.

Again I am so sorry for you.

think probably an arial predator, hawk or such-----if that is the case it will probably return, don't know how well you know your chooks sounds, but they have different alarm sounds for arial or ground attacks---tells the others what sort of cover to take----cheers pam

do u have any cane toads around? i know a bloke that has lost nearly 30 this year from cane toads and he said they can die within half an hour

OH!!!!!!! I' soooooo sorry for yr loss!!!!
To lose them in mysterious ways is so frustrating - beyond the grief!!
And a Lavender!!!!! Yep - a big loss either way you look at it - we mourn with you........



##Another option was a spider/snake bite, but she seemed to have died violently with her head twsited to the side and her beak full of dirt........##

It could be one of these - but you would have to look carefully for the bite marks - I saw a spide bite one of ours recently [she died] and we lost a few at the beggining of summer to a brown snake [saw the snake and the bite marks] - - - - BUT - - - - you say she had rigga and cool - I have seen males get over zealous and land on the wrong end forcing little faces into the dirt and snapping necks - - -

hmmmm - - cane toads - - - - hmmmm - yeah - chooks would investigate them
either way - she is gone and you are sad - we are too - for you!

Thanks everyone - I don't think I'll ever know what happened.

Pretty sure I can rule out a rooster, as most of them were shut up, and the only ones out are quite small and timid and were preoccupied at the time.

Haven't seen any predators in our yard, nor snakes, but who knows what is lurking around. We definitely don't have cane toads here - and hope they don't ever make it to our neck of the woods!!! Horrible beasties they are!

I just hope it was a one-off incident and that our other little ones will be okay.

Thanks again.

Deb

Hi Deb, sorry about your Lavender Pekin, it's always the good ones that die it very much sounds like she has either chocked or a Snake bite. Brown snakes will not hesitate to bite and run and their victims die quickly. Either way hope it doesn't happen again.



Thanks
P.A