For sale: Omlet outdoor catio, tunnels, tower and accessories - Cambridge (CB3)

[Janty]

Has anybody ever heard of hedgehogs attacking chickens?

 

It seems a bit odd to us as we have hedgehogs in the garden and have never had any problems but my in-laws have recently lost two chickens to some sort of animal and a friend of theirs has convinced them that it's down to hedgehogs. The chickens were left with just the throats ripped out. There were no other injuries to the birds.

 

I was very sceptical as to how the hedgehogs would reach the chickens' throats and kill them but I said that I'd consult the oracle that is the Omlet Forum.

[Redwing]

Surely not?

[Janty]

That's what we thought but I said that I'd ask. I think that somebody is winding them up...as I say, we've never had any problems.

[tidygirlsuk]

I think they have been playing to many video games, 'violent hedgehog !?' I think it must have been sonic the hedgehog.

[Guest]

hedgepigs are so placid and sweet, surely there's no way!!???

[Egluntyne]

More likely to be rats or weasels surely?

 

I've heard that hedgehogs are partial to an egg...................

[Budgies]

I would think (like Eglutine) weasels, stoat or ferrets most likely.

 

Poor maligned hedgehogs!

[dancing cloud]

Hedgehog teeth are tiny ! It'd take them all night and probably part of the next day to do any real harm to a hen. And while they can move fast, I think a hen under attack would move quicker!

 

I'm thinking more stoat/weasel or, more likely, mink if they're unfortunate enough to live in a mink area.

 

Poor little hedge-pigs !

[The Dogmother]

Hardly!

 

Like the others, I suspect a small rodenty thing. Were there any droppings present?

[Lydia]

No way would hedgehogs do damage like that. Eggs, yes they might steal those given the opportunity but killing a hen, no way. My first thought, like others, was stoat, weasel etc.

[Hetty F]

Just to add to this thread, I have today witnessed my bantam cockerel and 12 week old bantam girls being attacked by a hedgehog.    A commotion in the hutch at dusk sent the chickens fleeing. There were loads of feathers in the hutch and a large hedgehog running up and down the run. I spent half an hour wondering how to remove him and how to get the chickens back in their home when the hedgehog attacked the cockerel, pulling out a load of feathers. The cockerel tried to retaliate and then fled. I would not have believed this was possible if I hadn’t seen it. I will now have to work out how to protect them, from what I thought was a cute creature. Google it, there are loads of entries about this and beware of hedgehogs around young/small chickens!

[Stanners]

My mum's 8 year old silkie was found dead and mauled this morning. Sleeping hedgehog found in her nest box :-(. Devastating.

 

[Watto]

Just in from rounding up 8 of my 12 bantams.  10.30pm.  Was late shutting them away earlier (idiot, I am) and when I checked inside the henhouse I found the most enormous hedgehog.  Sadly, also our sweet littlest chick dead beside it.  Unfortunately, as much as I’m a fan of hedgehogs, we’ve found out tonight that they do infact attack chickens…..perhaps only small ones.  Here’s hoping the other bantams are roosting safely somewhere.  Poor things…..

[Luvachicken]

Did you find the rest of your chickens safe and well @Watto ?

Sad to read about your little one though.

We hardly ever see living hedgehogs where I live but fortunately, my girls are in a secure run, so no chance of one getting in if we did see one.

[Chloe7]

We have just heard a commotion in the garden and have also seen a large hedgehog charging at and attacking all of our silkies. They were all out of their coop for some odd reason as they should be roosting now. On closer inspection we found their eggs has been eaten in the coop so can only assume he turfed them out, ate their eggs and came back out to attack them. Could not believe our eyes watching him attack them in the garden. They always looked so sweet and innocent 😕

[Stadewhattie]

2 nights running, 1st night the neighbour wakes me up as the chickens are squarking. I had stupidly fallen asleep with them in the pen but not locked into their bed! Appears whilst they were out in the day a fat hedgehog had made its way in their enclosure and I didn’t check properly before putting them away! Water had been knocked over drenching one chicken and the other had lost quite a few feathers! Girls put away and hedgehog told where to go! 
night 2, partner comes home from work 0330 to find the same fat hedgehog butting and scratching at their closed bed! Partner picked hedgehog up and walked it 5 mins to the neighbourhood allotment. 
No doubt he will be back! 
any deterrent ideas?