A Cautionary Tale

Hello there,

I felt I needed to post a warning.  I can't tell you how horrible it was to find.  I have some Light Sussex bantam chicks about two and a half weeks old.  They are indoors with an electric hen. 

Today was such a lovely warm day and I wanted to clean their enclosure out so I decided to put them out on the  lawn covered by the top of a pet cage with good thick wire less than half an inch apart.  They had a small area for shade and food and water available.

I thought they were safe  WRONG!  A magpie came down and managed to drag the head of one chick through the bars and killed it.  I came upon it as it was trying to drag the body through the cage bars.  It flew away but the poor chick was dead.   

One other chick had been pecked around the head so it is in "intensive care" with gentian violet painted on the blooming area.  I think it has lost an eye but otherwise seems to be recovering.  I am worried as the chicks would peck at the blooming bits although I have tried to clean this up as best I can.  I might try putting another chick with it tomorrow to keep it company though I will have to watch carefully for any pecking.

Please be aware, as I should have been, that predators can come from every direction, air as well as ground.
I feel really awfull and I would not like anyone else to experience this.   

That is so horrible... I feel very sorry for the chicks and for you. Hopefully you are not being to hard on your self: you were trying to do a good thing.

I am glad you posted this since I was considering to do the same this weekend if the weather would allow it: they having a good time, me being able to clean their coop.

If, it is going to be a double fence so the chicks can't reach the outer fence.

Well the chick is back with its companions and seems to be OK though still a little quiet, understandably.  I don't think it will ever see out of one eye again though the other seems to be OK.  It is getting used to looking purple!