There is about 10 inches of snow on the ground and the girls do not like going out of the run, however; they're obviously bored penned up all day, despite our efforts to keep them entertained (ie: sunflower seeds thrown onto the straw, cabbage basket etc.) we still like to give them the option of venturing out.
My dear husband SHOVELED a path from their coop/run across the yard to the pool deck. The girls like it under there.
He left the door open for the girls to come out of their pen and he went for a walk. When he came back, the door to the run was closed and only three girls were inside.
Outside was a pile of feathers.
I am out of town and this is the picture he sent me.
There were no tracks in the snow - no blood and no chicken.
Upon receiving the dreaded email, I called my husband immediately - rattling off a gazillion questions - all of which he could answer only two of them!
My concern was the hawk swooped up the hen and perhaps couldn't hold onto her for any great distance and dropped her.
For my own piece of mind, I needed hubby to make a thorough pass of our yard to find the hen.
He grudgingly agreed even though he already looked for her earlier.
He called me 15 grueling minutes later to report when he went out to the pen, the hen was waiting at the closed door ... in a daze and missing a bunch of feathers off her rear end. ::YEAH::
She was eager to join the others.
I've instructed dear husband NOT to let the girls out anymore this week in hopes of deterring a further attack.
The featherless hen still seems to be in a daze. She is eating and drinking and the other girls are not picking on her.
All good news to me.
My questions are:
1) Will she grow her feathers back?
2) How long will she be dazed?
3) Should we separate her from the rest of the girls (we only have 4 chickens)
4) Is there anything else we should be looking for?
In advance, thanks for your advice.
Teri
My dear husband SHOVELED a path from their coop/run across the yard to the pool deck. The girls like it under there.
He left the door open for the girls to come out of their pen and he went for a walk. When he came back, the door to the run was closed and only three girls were inside.
Outside was a pile of feathers.
I am out of town and this is the picture he sent me.
There were no tracks in the snow - no blood and no chicken.
Upon receiving the dreaded email, I called my husband immediately - rattling off a gazillion questions - all of which he could answer only two of them!
My concern was the hawk swooped up the hen and perhaps couldn't hold onto her for any great distance and dropped her.
For my own piece of mind, I needed hubby to make a thorough pass of our yard to find the hen.
He grudgingly agreed even though he already looked for her earlier.
He called me 15 grueling minutes later to report when he went out to the pen, the hen was waiting at the closed door ... in a daze and missing a bunch of feathers off her rear end. ::YEAH::
I've instructed dear husband NOT to let the girls out anymore this week in hopes of deterring a further attack.
The featherless hen still seems to be in a daze. She is eating and drinking and the other girls are not picking on her.
All good news to me.
My questions are:
1) Will she grow her feathers back?
2) How long will she be dazed?
3) Should we separate her from the rest of the girls (we only have 4 chickens)
4) Is there anything else we should be looking for?
In advance, thanks for your advice.
Teri
