Animals sometimes "killed by another creature"?

[the_gamer_guy]

I went to feed my chickens yesterday and when I walked into the barn, I took 1 HP of damage and one of my roosters died at the same time. I thought it was a drifter throwing a stone, but it was daytime, and the rift activity was calm, also couldn't hear or see any drifters around. Before that, I noticed two of my goats were also "killed by another creature" a few days before this. I thought it was wolves or bears getting them through the fence, so I made it two-thick and two-tall. It hasn't happened since so that's probably what it was, but I can't explain the rooster dying.

All my animals get sunlight and are pretty protected from predators with my fences and barn. What is going on?

Could it be that I have too many animals in a small area? The chicken pen is pretty small, and I had lots of chickens in there, probably around 20.

Edited November 18, 2022 by the_gamer_guy

[l33tmaan]

Ah, yes. I see you've met the ghosts.

[dakko]

I haven't had chickens for awhile but unless something has changed in recent updates, roosters will fight each other even to death. Of course that does not explain what you've described. But with a crowded chicken pen, it wouldn't be surprising to have rooster deaths.

[BenLi]

As for roosters - there's a mechanics in the game that when in danger two roosters start fighting each other.

I.e. if your chickens are less than Gen10, the roosters will start fighting each other when you enter the pen.

[Maelstrom]

In two separate events I had my pregnant sows killed by another creature and not long thereafter my pregnant (gen 2) ewes (all SIX) killed by another creature.  All were safely housed behind double high fences.  Both events were preceded by the death of a bear by my hands.  Kinda hard to think it was something other than bears that played patty-cake with my animals THROUGH the fence.