Nick&Trish Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 Unbelievable, but true. Earlier this morning Trish heard a commotion, and the sound of a bird in distress, coming from under a large Hebe bush in our garden. Thinking that it might be a neighbours cat, who is a bit of a hunter, she approached the bush clapping her hands. A young starling flew away, but the commotion continued, and the bush was shaking - there was clearly a s"Ooops, word censored!" going on! Looking under the bush she found that our chicken, Victoria, who weighs in at over 4 Kg, had cornered a male sparrowhawk and was pecking the hell out of it. We guess that the sparrowhawk had taken the starling and Victoria had come to its aid. After a lot of coaxing, and the use of a bean cane to hold Victoria back, Trish finally managed to separate them for long enough for the sparrowhawk to make good its escape and fly off. It was actually very lucky: Victoria, being a big hen, was constrained by the lack of space, and was only able to attack it using her beak. If it had been out in the open, and she had be able to attack it in a Ninja style using her feet (as she sometimes does to us when we clean her run) then it would have been game over for the sparrowhawk. This is so unusual I felt the need to share it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 I can believe it - they aren't that far removed from being pterodactyls! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superkitty Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 Wow Wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of Victoria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 Can I borrow her - a bengal cat has just run at my girls in their run and the commotion was awful - thankfully no fatalities - my ginger cat is patrolling up and down now in hob nail boots, helmet and my water pistol - ok the last bit I made up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egghead68 Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 Go Victoria!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millie-Annie Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 I want a Victoria, I am desperately trying to think of ways to deter next doors flipping cat who terrorises my guinea pigs and leave poor injured baby birds for us to sort out. I am thinking a goose, but what breed is Victoria? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick&Trish Posted May 29, 2012 Author Share Posted May 29, 2012 She's a Pepperpot - supplied by Omlet when we purchased our Eglu in July 2005. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadietoo Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 Oh my goodness...not only a Ninja Chook but a seven year old Ninja Chook!!! I'm doubly impressed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superkitty Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 Oh my goodness...not only a Ninja Chook but a seven year old Ninja Chook!!! I'm doubly impressed! My goodness, that's impressive What's your secret?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick&Trish Posted May 29, 2012 Author Share Posted May 29, 2012 You may think this is a bit OTT, but for the last three years she has stopped eating completely when going through her winter moult. The first time she spent ages at the Vet's - then we brought her home, kept her in the house, and fed her a couple of times a day using a syringe and a short tube. We repeated this the year before last too, as the alternative would have been for her to die from malnutrition. This year we were ready (and the mild winter helped) and started supplementary feeding as soon as her weight began to drop dramatically, with a mixture made up of Critical Care Formula, a liquid vitamin supplement, and ground layers pellets to make a runny paste. She stayed outside last Winter, and we fed her morning and evening from November to February, when she began eating by herself again. So, no secret really - we just became full-time chicken carers over the winter. She doesn't find it at all distressing, and would actually walk down to the house every morning and evening, waiting to be fed - after which she'd bumble off and do chicken stuff, or take herself off to bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superkitty Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 True chicken-keeping commitment! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick&Trish Posted May 30, 2012 Author Share Posted May 30, 2012 Thanks. She's still laying too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeky Chooky Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 What a girl! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
