Sad day for me

[kittykat8]

Went down to see my chickens today I go twice aday if not more on weekends spend all my spare time down at the allotment. I opened the coup door and Thomasina tried to get pass me swawking like mad and distressed, I picked her up and put her back in the run, and then Lizzie who is a light Sussex and the biggest of the 6 pinned her to the ground and attacked her, when she managed to escape with me making a noise lizzie then chased her inside with the rest following.

Went down to get corn and when I came back she had been chased into a corner.

I found someone else in the allotment who has chickens but only a bantum cockel left and a polish and we took thomasina there , who has settled there, with a blood cut to her head. With hindsight thomasina has been on the outskirts for the last few weeks.She looks healthy with red combe and clear eyes.

I had these chickens since they were 19 weeks last may 2010 and they have been together since they were babies, why attack now.

marion

[baldrick]

because chickens, like kids are horrible! Have they got enough space? Try 3 feeders/drinkers for your 6 birds (we have had to do this when the ex batts were settling in), hang cabbages and stuff up too. Hope she is Ok and that the bully doesnt just pick the next lowest to have a go at! x

[Polly Fouracre]

Hard as it is, chickens have no finer feelings! Look at their eyes, they are cold and prehistoric, no warm feeelings at all. they live soley on instinct and any chicken that is accepted is only that, accepted not liked or loved by the others, and any that are not accepted are attacked as your poor little one was.

[chris]

That's a great description Polly - so true.

[baldrick]

Hard as it is, chickens have no finer feelings! Look at their eyes, they are cold and prehistoric, no warm feeelings at all. they live soley on instinct and any chicken that is accepted is only that, accepted not liked or loved by the others, and any that are not accepted are attacked as your poor little one was.

except our Sophie. She was a beautiful girl....ahem...though im very...er strict and harsh...cough...em...

[Suechooks]

....ahem...though im very...er strict and harsh...cough...em...

Yeah - right!!!!!

[grenhouse]

I don't know about no feelings for one another! I have 2 cross breed banty's who were hatched together and have been inseperable since! They follow each other around and have even just hatched 10 cream legbars between them and are now waddling around with all 10 following them. Then they cuddle in a corner and share the little uns out!

Steve