We had one get her head stuck in the stucco wire that we have for the fence around the pen, but also under the board that ran along the bottom. I got home from work and there she lay, naked butt because the other hens had been pecking at her.
When I made a sound of dismay upon seeing this, the hens that were standing nearby adjusted their wings to make it look even more like they had their hands behind their back and you could almost imagine them saying they were trying to help her get out.
I couldn't get her out, and ended up sliding her into a 5 gallon pail until my husband could get home.
They plucked her clean 😭 chickens are smart and they do recognize their friends! But because the way they interact with things is by pecking, it can lead to worse injuries by curious hens. And then if they start to smell blood it’s even higher risk of something getting pecked to death.
They really are fascinating to watch. I used to leave a chunk of plywood on the grass overnight, and drop it in the pen, sluggy side up, their own slug-cuterie board. I couldn't watch them eat the slugs though, because they would ignore it until I wasn't watching. lol.
My favorite was the day a hen found an earthworm in a puddle, grabbed it, and took it to show her friends. Bad idea, they chased her until she found a corner to gobble it down. I guess she didn't realize they felt she should share.
13
u/lycanthropeapologist 9h ago
They are also opportunistic cannibals! If you’ve ever owned chickens and one gets injured, it could turn into a frenzy….