- Feb 2, 2010
- 15
- 0
- 22
I had two Welsummers in my flock last summer and one was taken and killed by a fox. The second, Tootsie, was in the fox's mouth when my son and dog chased the fox and it dropped her. Tootsie laid her last egg the next day and she did have a small raw patch on her back which I was able to keep the other girls away from until it healed. There have been no eggs since from her, and she was a very good layer.
Six months later, yesterday, I picked her up as I thought I saw mud on her breast feathers. No, the feathers have turned gray -- not all of them, just here and there. I'll try to get a photo tomorrow. These feathers are no where near the injury caused by the fox.
Does anybody know if this is a result of the trauma of being in the fox's mouth and, forgive me, I think they have feelings, watching her sister die? The rest of the flock was also traumatized and it took a few months for any of the flock to lay again.
We added two more Americaunas and two Gold Laced Wyandottes to the flock in September and they are all laying nicely now, thankfully.
Six months later, yesterday, I picked her up as I thought I saw mud on her breast feathers. No, the feathers have turned gray -- not all of them, just here and there. I'll try to get a photo tomorrow. These feathers are no where near the injury caused by the fox.
Does anybody know if this is a result of the trauma of being in the fox's mouth and, forgive me, I think they have feelings, watching her sister die? The rest of the flock was also traumatized and it took a few months for any of the flock to lay again.
We added two more Americaunas and two Gold Laced Wyandottes to the flock in September and they are all laying nicely now, thankfully.
