for some context, I had a Russian Orloff/Speckled Orpington go broody on me. So I got her two chicks, since that’s all I had the room for and this is her first time. I kept her with the rest of the hens, one like her, a Barred, and three red stars so all gentle hens. She was a great mama...
I did that with a field mouse I found in my garden... I almost felt bad for the thing. I should have killed it before tossing it in. I also tried feeding them a copperhead snake I found and chopped it’s head off, but the girls where too young to break through the scales.
I’ve perfected my grasshopper catching skills. Trick is to grab BOTH the hind legs, if you only grab one they’ll rip off that leg with the other. It’s gruesome.
Went to lay some fresh hay in the coop and I found one of my hens in the corner dead. I’m pretty sure she somehow broke her neck, but now I’m down to just the seven. Going to watch them closely for a few days, but Cheeky was always the flightiest hen.