koo2cat Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 As we are going away next week we have decided to leave the cube door open at night to save our neighbors the bother of shutting the girls in late and letting them out early. All has been well for the first couple of nights but last night was a different story! At 4am, DH and I were woken by the most awful squawking and crowing from the hens . We thought a fox had got into the run so DH dashed outside (half naked!) and promptly shut the cube door. He didn't realise however in the gloomy light that a chicken was still in the run. So all was quiet for half an hour and then the racket started again, so he goes out again and opens the cube door and as it was now getting light let all the hens out. When I went to let them out of their cube run this morning I notice there are feathers everywhere! Something has clearly had a go at one of the hens. The obvious choice is a rat as we have a terrible problem with them at the moment, but would a rat attack a chicken? Hetty seems none the worse for the attack but we will now be keeping the cube door firmly shut. Thankfully our kind neighbors have agreed to lock the hens up next week also! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 it's possible, could have been a mink, ferret, stoat, anything like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs chook Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 OMG! Hope all are ok now, and you. That's a good idea for your neighbours to lock them in. Check the enclosure/run and make it as safe as poss before you go away. Have you seen rats in your garden or is the problem in the area around you? Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
