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Well I had three hens till this morning and now I've got four, Betty has joined my "flock".
A fellow allotment holder who's pen is not as secure as it could be has lost 9 hens to foxes and Betty was the only one to survive. These attacks were over a period of weeks so she must have been a canny hen to survive.
He came over to see me carry Betty under one arm asking if I would take her in - so what could I say - had to cast worries about infection and fighting aside as otherwise she would be a foxes dinner before too long.
She looks healthy enough but haven't had a close inspection as I didn't want to pick her up with resulting noise and fuss causing mayhem. She's in full lay and around a year old so not that different to mine. There has been some attacks. Enid, my white Sussex drew blood this morning from Betty's wattles but it wasn't serious damage and there's now no open wound to be seen. The other two chase her but don't seem to be attacking. There was an awful lot of noise at first as they seemed to be cursing and complaining in very loud voice.
The hen run juts out of one corner of the pen so it creates a bit of a Berlin Wall with Betty hovering around at the back and Enid, Dorothy and Barbara parading at the front.
Have been passing food round the back to Betty, she seems to be allowed round the front to drink and eat pellets but when she had the temerity to sneak round and try to eat the apple hanging up Enid took great offense. She doesn't seemed to be cowed by the attacks although she does leg it when they give her the evil eye but then she starts pecking around in her bit of the run, seemingly unconcerned.
I've had to leave them to it tonight, do you think it will take long before they all get on? I just hope I've done the right thing but didn't want to see poor old Betty get disappeared like the others.
You just never know what a day on the allotment will bring. Finger's crossed there will be no dead bodies tomorrow!
Sue
A fellow allotment holder who's pen is not as secure as it could be has lost 9 hens to foxes and Betty was the only one to survive. These attacks were over a period of weeks so she must have been a canny hen to survive.
He came over to see me carry Betty under one arm asking if I would take her in - so what could I say - had to cast worries about infection and fighting aside as otherwise she would be a foxes dinner before too long.
She looks healthy enough but haven't had a close inspection as I didn't want to pick her up with resulting noise and fuss causing mayhem. She's in full lay and around a year old so not that different to mine. There has been some attacks. Enid, my white Sussex drew blood this morning from Betty's wattles but it wasn't serious damage and there's now no open wound to be seen. The other two chase her but don't seem to be attacking. There was an awful lot of noise at first as they seemed to be cursing and complaining in very loud voice.
The hen run juts out of one corner of the pen so it creates a bit of a Berlin Wall with Betty hovering around at the back and Enid, Dorothy and Barbara parading at the front.
Have been passing food round the back to Betty, she seems to be allowed round the front to drink and eat pellets but when she had the temerity to sneak round and try to eat the apple hanging up Enid took great offense. She doesn't seemed to be cowed by the attacks although she does leg it when they give her the evil eye but then she starts pecking around in her bit of the run, seemingly unconcerned.
I've had to leave them to it tonight, do you think it will take long before they all get on? I just hope I've done the right thing but didn't want to see poor old Betty get disappeared like the others.
You just never know what a day on the allotment will bring. Finger's crossed there will be no dead bodies tomorrow!
Sue
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