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I had 2 attacks on a bantam last year when she was injured around the neck and taken to the front of the house and left wandering and injured. She recovered on antibiotics.
About a month ago the same hen was attacked, feathers scattered far and wide and dead body left lying. No obvious injuries. Another hen was also plucked that day on her chest and on her back between her wings, but no other injuries. She stopped eating for a week and gradually got back to normal on critical care formula.
Yesterday another hen was brought home by a neighbour behind and the previously plucked hen had lost a few feathers and was spooked and wouldn't come out for corn. I heard a story about birds of prey ? attempting to mate with chickens.
Today a kestrel was sitting in our bay tree surveying the scene.
Hard to believe, but it doesn't make sense for a fox to kill a bird and leave the body and my bet is the kestrel or another bird of prey. What do others think??
Message received from Africa
Actually, that happened to one of my hens a while back on my mother's farm. They were at the back of the orchard, behind the house. I heard a great fuss, and went out, but it had calmed down. A few minutes later, a bit more fuss, and then a hen came running out from the bush on the other side of the orchard, in front of the house. Agitated, but fine. I got the impression she was actually quite pleased with herself. Shortly after that, a raptor rose above the bush and sailed away. Maybe he'd been trying to mate with her ? On earlier occasions in previous years, hens in the orchard had been heard to shriek, and when the dogs barked and I shouted, a raptor rose and sailed away.
The same person had several attacks by a honey badger burrowing into the chicken house and eventually made a light weight coop which she hoisted up high at night.
About a month ago the same hen was attacked, feathers scattered far and wide and dead body left lying. No obvious injuries. Another hen was also plucked that day on her chest and on her back between her wings, but no other injuries. She stopped eating for a week and gradually got back to normal on critical care formula.
Yesterday another hen was brought home by a neighbour behind and the previously plucked hen had lost a few feathers and was spooked and wouldn't come out for corn. I heard a story about birds of prey ? attempting to mate with chickens.
Today a kestrel was sitting in our bay tree surveying the scene.Hard to believe, but it doesn't make sense for a fox to kill a bird and leave the body and my bet is the kestrel or another bird of prey. What do others think??
Message received from Africa
Actually, that happened to one of my hens a while back on my mother's farm. They were at the back of the orchard, behind the house. I heard a great fuss, and went out, but it had calmed down. A few minutes later, a bit more fuss, and then a hen came running out from the bush on the other side of the orchard, in front of the house. Agitated, but fine. I got the impression she was actually quite pleased with herself. Shortly after that, a raptor rose above the bush and sailed away. Maybe he'd been trying to mate with her ? On earlier occasions in previous years, hens in the orchard had been heard to shriek, and when the dogs barked and I shouted, a raptor rose and sailed away.
The same person had several attacks by a honey badger burrowing into the chicken house and eventually made a light weight coop which she hoisted up high at night.
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