Hens left in wicker basket for an hour

[REDCHEQHEN]

5 hens were left in a wicker basket on the front of the loft while my OH took the rest to the club house for transporter training. As we both went into the garden I noticed a lot of feathers surrounding the basket on the lawn. Every one of the 5 hens had damaged wings - one was missing the centre of one wing, all the others with bent or broken flights and three with missing tails. 

I am presuming a hawk attack with the hawk attacking through the handle opening of the wicker basket or possibly a cat, but unlikely to have one hen with the centre section missing from one wing from a cat. You would think a wicker basket would be a safe haven for them. No blood or puncture wounds anywhere. Has anybody had a hawk attacking a basket of birds? 

[sapper756]

Carrion Crows, will take any opportunity to get at the birds🤔

[ALF]

4 hours ago, sapper756 said:

Carrion Crows, will take any opportunity to get at the birds🤔

They certainly will it happened to me 3 yrs ago picking up 4 yb's left in a basket whilst we looked at the birds came out to find feathers and blood all over the place and had to cull the 4 yb's

 

[REDCHEQHEN]

I do have an old crow that visits my garden regularly, I never thought of that. 

[sapper756]

Carrion Crows have the Black Beak

[REDCHEQHEN]

Yep - that's just like it, sits on my fence and chimney pot every day squawks a lot! The dog barks at it constantly whenever she sees it

[REDROCKET]

Don’t you think if a hawk landed on the basket that the birds would be terrified and loose their feathers in the panic or even landing on it. Just a thought. 

[Joe tyre]

Thers that many birds capable of doing it that's wots against us even in baskets never mind the sky sadly

[jimbo54]

My mate had the same thing happen to him, it was next doors cat .

[REDCHEQHEN]

One thing for sure, it's not safe leaving birds unattended even when they are in a basket! 

[REDCHEQHEN]

On 4/29/2022 at 9:31 AM, REDCHEQHEN said:

One thing for sure, it's not safe leaving birds unattended even when they are in a basket! 

Back turned for five minutes and it happened again whilst I was making a cup of tea, and it was indeed a crow at it again. The old crow that used to come in the garden and caused no bother has been replaced with a younger model. An absolute nuisance.