Single hen

[bruce]

Hi, today one of our girls was running around being chased by the other four to my horror she had part of a dead mouse in her beak and swallowed it. Has anyone else heard of this ?

She lays lovely blue eggs but I think I may give 'em a miss for a while.

We notice too thatthey peck each others feathers, is this some mutual grooming going on? or are they a just a little spiteful? any ideas all info welcome, Cheers Chicken folk

[Chickvic]

Unfortunately yes they do eat mice and frogs and dead birds one of my cats has caught and left in the garden When one of mine ate a frog I gave the eggs to my MIL Don't know about the feather pecking - are they pulling feathers out? I've not seen my hens groom each other. If they are feather pulling you will need to fit bumpa bits or try an anti-pecking spray. Chickens can be a bit brutal

[Barkisland]

I have seen mine grooming one another, but I've also seen them pulling feathers out for spite and to show who's boss.

You can easily tell the difference, the mutual grooming is done gently, and apparently with consent of the participants.

Spitefulness looks much more devious, with one hen sneaking up behind the other (with almost pantomime comedic effect) and swiping a beak full of knicker feathers.

Pecking order squabbles are usually noisy and full on, they can be quite upsetting to witness, but it is all part of nature's way. It can get quite nasty if the underdog gets cornered. If blood is drawn you may need to separate them, or fit bumpa bits as appropriate. Any visible blood also needs to be covered with purple spray to stop the birds being attracted back to do more damage.

[dancing cloud]

My little monsters eat mice too!

 

Last summer Daisy seemed to have a deal going with Loki-cat - he caught the mice, she ate the mice . Not entirely sure they were all totally dead when Loki handed them over either .

[WitchHazel]

My Girls love mice. One of them is quite a mouse hunter, shea nd one of my cats hunted a mouse together a while back.

 

Our cats are always bringin in mice and leaving them in the kitchen (or in my slippers) as pressies. I used to put them in the bin, now I......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

throw them in for the chickens.

 

The Girls are Raptors, after all!

[bruce]

Hi chicken folk thanks tp Witchhazel, Chicvic, and Dancing cloud for the helpful information re mouse chomping; thanks most of all to Barkisland who introduced us to the knicker feathers and bump bits? some serious research needed methinks , Cheers Bruce