Yesterday evening, HSB#1 went out to close up the chickens, he re-entered the house telling me to come quick. One of the Buff Orpingtons was bleeding on her back. I figured it was just the hens pecking on each other, but when I got out there I found her with a gashed up back. The only thing I can think it that it was a coyote. Earlier in the day, during a party I saw a coyote run across the corner of our property, but it looked like it was heading across the street away from our animals. Apparently not.
We moved her to a pen by herself and will keep her there under observation for awhile. Chickens tend to peck at anything that looks different, so if we put her in with the rest of the chickens they would probably keep pecking at her and make it worse. So for the time being she is going to be in her own hen suite resting up, and hopefully healing nicely.
Time to call the trapper.
