- Aug 9, 2009
- 368
- 15
- 121
I just had to post this.......I had no idea a hen would do this!
We do not have a rooster. When we first got chickens, a nice lady down the street gave us 2 of her old laying hens. She said these hens were smart, and would show our new chickens the "ropes". We lost Sue to a hawk attack last year. Yes, she lost her life standing up to a hawk so the others could get inside. That left Sam. Sam is our head chicken. She bosses the younger chickens around. Sounds the predator alarm and in general is in charge.
Yesterday, my husband got home from errands and heard noises in the hen house. He opened the door to find Sam "poofed" to twice her normal size, pecking and jumping a small oppossum that had gotten into the house. She had done serious damage to this oppossum!! The other chickens-all 15 of them, were up on perches, not scared, just watching Sam......taking care of business.
My husband dispatched the oppossum, but we were amazed. We had no idea that our docile, Sam chicken could be such a warrior. She was covered in blood, but when my husband cleaned her off, we realized none of it was hers....it was all oppossum blood.
Anyone else hear of such a thing? We are certain she would have killed it herself, if my husband had not arrived home when he did!
We are so proud of her. She is old, and not laying as well as she should be, but we have decided she just earned herself a permenant retirement home---no noodle pot for her.
We do not have a rooster. When we first got chickens, a nice lady down the street gave us 2 of her old laying hens. She said these hens were smart, and would show our new chickens the "ropes". We lost Sue to a hawk attack last year. Yes, she lost her life standing up to a hawk so the others could get inside. That left Sam. Sam is our head chicken. She bosses the younger chickens around. Sounds the predator alarm and in general is in charge.
Yesterday, my husband got home from errands and heard noises in the hen house. He opened the door to find Sam "poofed" to twice her normal size, pecking and jumping a small oppossum that had gotten into the house. She had done serious damage to this oppossum!! The other chickens-all 15 of them, were up on perches, not scared, just watching Sam......taking care of business.
My husband dispatched the oppossum, but we were amazed. We had no idea that our docile, Sam chicken could be such a warrior. She was covered in blood, but when my husband cleaned her off, we realized none of it was hers....it was all oppossum blood.
Anyone else hear of such a thing? We are certain she would have killed it herself, if my husband had not arrived home when he did!
We are so proud of her. She is old, and not laying as well as she should be, but we have decided she just earned herself a permenant retirement home---no noodle pot for her.
