BlueTheBrahma
Crowing
This motioning, I found my welsummer hen sat in the corner of the pen and thought nothing of it. After I fed them, I noticed she hadn’t moved to eat. I then realised that her head had been stripped of feathers and she was surrounded by feathers. I picked her up, and moved her, and when I put her down I realised she had an injured leg as well. I can’t see any injury on the leg but she can’t use it properly and holds it behind her. Her right saddle feathers are also stripped and there is a little blood. I’ve put her back for now and to my amazement not a single other chicken is bothering her, I’ve yet to even see the rooster mount her. As soon as this happens, she’s out. I don’t really see her recovering, so will probably put her out of her misery. In the spot I found her, the wire had been chewed through, and behind it was an animal hole. It seems a bit big for a rat but also I’m not sure if it could be a fox. I’m in the uk so no raccoons. I can’t guarantee the tunnel and injury are related, but it seems suspicious. It could be rooster damage if he’s exploited her injured leg, but I’d expect some loss of shoulder feathers also. Any ideas?
Graphic warning if I need to put one.
Tried to show scale with an egg box, just a little narrower.
Graphic warning if I need to put one.