Vixen the Attack Chicken

[liljenjennc]

This is Vixen. I have 11 pullets all between 19 and 21 weeks old and she is the leader. I spend a lot of time with them and it's no unusual thing for me to be sitting in the run and have 5 chickens sitting on my lap shoulders and even my head at one time. I went down yesterday afternoon for my usual visit and to let them into the large fence when to my horror this was the sight I saw! I was sure that she'd been attacked by something - maybe even the other hens, and immediately separated her from the flock and started checking her over to see the extent of the damage. After 30 minutes of separating feathers and basically going over her with a fine tooth comb I didn't find one single wound. There was one spot on her neck where it looked like a feather had broken off but that was it! I also looked at all of the other girls and didn't find anything. So all I can guess is that something didn't get a very warm welcome when it entered her property! My chickens never cease to amaze me. This is my first time raising them and I've very quickly become addicted! This was such an adrenaline filled event that I wanted to share it with like-minded chicken loving folks who would appreciate hearing it. Has anyone else ever had anything like this happen?

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Maybe an unsuspecting mouse wandered into the the chicken run and got a serious pecking. I have read about some chickens on this forum who are pretty good mousers. My chickens have caught smaller frogs. One chicken would run around with the critter in her beak chased by the others, and then the flock had a peck fest.

 

[b.hromada]

I just love the look on her face!!!