4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[missuscluck]

I have 3 bantam Barb duccle hens in my garden that we hatched last May. They are pretty small as hens go and very gentle little souls. Last weekend we noticed that one had not got out of the nest box. I assumed at first she was broody but on lifting her out of the nest box noticed a lot of blood around the neck area.

 

Apart from being weak, she appeared to have lost the use of her legs. However her eyes were bright and she was happy to eat and drink. After a second opinion from another seasoned chook keeper we decided to give her a chance and Im pleased to say after a week of living in the garage, lots of TLC, a short course of Baytrill for her infected wound and plenty of mealworms she has tonight been put back in with her sisters. She has the full use of one leg and light use of the other so she is getting about with a limp.

 

I think the neck wound was pretty deep and had caused a problem somewhere with the working of her legs. Now it has healed it looks like a gash rather than a bite. We were wondering at first it could be a passing Cat or a Rat attack. I would think either of these would cause two puncture marks if it was attacked with teeth. I suppose it could be a Cats claw but it just looks too big and deep for that. Has anyone any experiance of this kind of attack.

It dosent feel safe to let them out in the garden now

[darkwoodali]

Ooh, it's funny you posted that. Poor little thing, hope she and you recover soon. I was wondering something similar today. I let our girls out for the first time today and was a tad concerned about the Red Kites circling overhead. A couple of them came down really low (as low as the top of the shed!), not that our girls were bothered. I had thought that Kites only take carrion but...?

[Sue]

I had 3 young Marans growing pullets taken by a buzzard last summer - It took them over a few days, but I couldn't work out what it was at first till we saw it swoop, and then went over to find the body of its last victim. I have never had this happen before in all my years of poultry keeping, or when my parents kept poultry in the 1950's, but I suppose there are so many more birds of prey around now, and probably not sufficient for them to eat.

 

This year I have had pens with wire mesh tops constructed at vast expense, but I feel once a local buzzard has found an easy and tasty source of food it is likely to continue hunting them.

 

Sue

[Patricia W]

Do you have sparrow hawks around? We have red kites but they prefer carrion so just look and fly away, but the sparrow hawks like their dinner " fresh" - they've decimated the pigeon population around here.

[Salop Chuck]

I have a male Sparrowhawk that regularly visits my garden to take Starlings. They do indeed like their food 'live' because I have seen them in action quite close to my kitchen window about 3 times now. When I see my bantams FR in my garden I feel a little nervouse because I know that a female Sparrowhawk would be quite capable of taking one of them. So far it hasn't happened.

 

You are right to protect your girls and I am really glad she has recovered.

[darkwoodali]

Do you have sparrow hawks around? We have red kites but they prefer carrion so just look and fly away, but the sparrow hawks like their dinner " fresh" - they've decimated the pigeon population around here.

 

Thanks Patricia! It's reassuring to think the kites are "just looking". I'm not sure if we have sparrow hawks. We live quite close to a nature reserve so there's all manor of beasties in them thar woods! Have steeled myself with the thought that all this is just "country life" and I need to get used to it. Still it's hard not to get attached to my girls. Never thought I'd feel this way about chickens but there you go...

[LizzieLloyd]

We've had a sparrowhawk take a few swoops at our bantoms when they were out in the garden but thankfully she moved on without success. I have heard that a female sparrowhawk is more than capable of taking out a bantom but as for the other raptors they tend to stick to carrion unless they are desperate for food.

[oneyolktoanother]

glad to hear your chook is feeling better we have had to put ours in a big run and only let them fr when wr are out with them due to a local fox and i am abit worried about big birds

[missuscluck]

Thankyou for the replies. She is doing well and has been back in the run with her sisters for a few days now. She has still not got the full use of one of her legs and is getting skilled in hopping about.

Im really worried about letting them roam about as they did do in the garden, which is such a shame They are used to just getting about wherever they like. I will be keeping a close eye out and see if I can spot anything hovering above and see if I can identify it. Sparrow hawks are a possibility.