[Casey76]

Tonight I heard a bit of a rumpus in the garden, and after all of the problems I've had over the past year, I'm a bit paranoid, so i rushed out, and I saw one of my huge brahma girls being attacked... by a hedgehog!

The hedgehog was jumping up and taking chunks out of the brahmas tail, and every time the brahma turned to face it off, it attacked again.

When I got into the pen, there were fluffy brahma feathers everywhere!

Have you ever heard of anything similar?

[GrannieAnnie]

Oh Casey, that is weird.  Do you think the hedgehog wanted the feathers to line its nest maybe??

[8doubles]

Hedgehogs will eat eggs and chicks if they get the chance and will push sitting birds off the nest but i have never heard of a full grown hen being attacked.
Is it possible the hog has a nest with young nearby and was trying to 'see off' any possible threat to them.

[Lindeggs]

Here in NZ we have a major problem with hedgehogs as pests.  Yes, your Mrs Tiggywinkle is a nasty character when moved to a country with no predators!  :blink:

Hedgehogs are well known for attacking and killing our native birds.  They will eat the eggs and chicks, and will kill small ground-nesting birds.  When I was little I vividly remember one of our bantams being killed by a hedgehog.  Mum caught it in the act and brought the bantam inside to recover, but she had terrible injuries and died of shock.

I've never heard of a hedgehog attacking a large, healthy bird in daylight though.

[evie2]

Not nice Lindeggs, were they brought over by settlers the way rabbits were to Australia?

We had 2 'getting to know' one another in the garden recently, woke OH up they were so noisy and they don't half run fast.

[alancane]

I haven't seen a hedgehog in years. Always saw lots when I was a child, I miss them. 

[Lindeggs]

Not nice Lindeggs, were they brought over by settlers the way rabbits were to Australia?

We had 2 'getting to know' one another in the garden recently, woke OH up they were so noisy and they don't half run fast.

Yes, hedgehogs and rabbits were brought here too.     Hard to believe my ancestors were so short-sighted that they couldn't see the problems they would be causing.  We see them all the time, usually squashed on the roads but also hear them rustling noisily under our bedroom windows at night.

[jinty1911]

Lots of squashed hedgehogs in Scotland.  I had one in the garden once ages ago but haven't seen a living one for years. 

[evie2]

Pity you can't send them back Lindeggs, there seems to be a shortage in some areas here.