Advice re: cannibalism
So, I have (had) 6 chickens, alongside one cockerel.
Everything has been going great until recently where we have had a real boom in a rat problem. The rats have started going into the hen house and eating the eggs. When I got on top of that problem I noticed that some of my hens now had a taste for pecking and eating their own eggs and others.
I’ve been trying to get on top of the situation. I have a live feed camera in the hen house. They have plenty of space in our yard. They have good quality layers pellets. Oyster shells. And several drinkers with one large feeder. Also the occasional cabbage or melon thrown enrichment.
Friday night I came home to find one of my chickens dead inside the hen house, curled up and on her back was a gaping wound. I initially thought a rat had done this. I cleaned up her and any blood and set a humane rat trap inside the house with eggs as bait (so as not to poison or harm my chickens).
I checked the rest of my flock for injuries when I shut them all in their house that night - nothing.
The next morning when I went out to let them out and to collect eggs I found another one of my hens in the exact same spot with her abdomen pecked open.
I made the decision then to move two of my flock out to my mothers as I couldn’t be sure if this was rats or the chickens now as this happened overnight. The two I moved consisted of: my cockerel (a little Bantam who I have had for years with several different chickens and never had an issue with, he has a lovely temperament) and my Buff who has been his companion since I got them, the two seem very bonded and I never see them squabbling. They are my original flock.
The three I left here (I moved to a new area in my yard) are rescue batts, who have always squabbled and pecked each other a lot but I assumed it was pecking order.
I did the same again, checked them all for injury. Checked the house and shut them in. I also woke up every on the hour last night and checked them on the camera (I know.. anxiety 🫠) they all seemed fine..
At some point this morning between my camera checks, another chicken attacked. I spotted her on the camera at 7am, she was off the perch and on the floor in the corner. Her chest had been pecked open. My partner humanely dispatched her.
I have 2 of my batts left and I feel completely broken and at a loss, my mother says the cockerel and Buff are both fine at hers with no injuries. My partner is suggesting we start fresh and dispatch both of the remaining batts as we don’t know if it’s both or one. I know what and why is he is saying that but I feel awful.
Does anyone have any advice or have any better ideas? My priority is preventing suffering. I won’t see anything suffer and I don’t want to put another chicken at risk tonight.
Grateful for any help. Please be kind, I’m trying my best here.