Safety

The white spots are not flying dandelion seeds nor cherry blossom petals, but snow. It was freezing cold today.

As I returned from the morning walk with Flash, all the chickens were hiding at the far end of the garage and only after we parked and got out did they come out of hiding.

Last Sunday one of our white Sussex chickens went missing and judging by a few feathers seen at the far end of the drive, we assumed a fox or bird of prey had got her. On Thursday evening she strolled home with not a sign of any damage whatsoever. Goodness knows what she was up to in that time but she has always been adventurous and often missed the evening automatic hen house door closing.

So we were delighted until 24 hours later on Friday evening, when we found her again in some wooded part of the garden but this time very clearly dead, masses of plucked feathers and large chunks of flesh missing. A hen harrier no doubt. She was much too heavy to carry away.

Initially, we removed the corpse but this morning before the dog walk, put it back where it had been hoping at least the harrier would finish off its work and leave the other girls alone.

24 hours later it hadn't been touched, so I assume the girls were hiding in the garage while Angie was out riding and I was out walking. The harrier had probably tried again.

It is somewhat more than annoying but that's nature and the price of giving them freedom. A standard hen in the allowed EU cage has 111cm² space or 33cm x 33cm or a little under 2 pages of standard paper. Our girls have a minimum of 5,000,000cm² or about 600yds x 600yds.

Took the photo as the girls started coming out desperate for a drink of water. The white Sussex girls coming last. If in the unlikely event of the snow settling, the Sussex girls may be better camouflaged but of course the others more at risk.