hurt chicken | Life on a Colorado Farm

Well, the Bronco’s lost. What more can be said. Now we move forward to next year. There really is nothing else to do.

The chickens have all been sorted out and deposited at Shannon’s. The poor little hen is now out of the house and in the hen house all by her little lonesome. I feel better with her out there…she has lots of room to move around in, food and water as she wants it and lots of lovely alfalfa to peck at.

When I placed her in the hen house she walked around with the most pathetic little clucking sound–I know she was looking for the others. But not for a while little girl. Not for some time really. Your whole head has to heal and the feathers starting to emerge before I bring back Little Bear (her best friend). Chickens (fowl) will peck on anyone and anything that has blood on them. Once started they get that ‘Mean Girl’ or ‘Bully’ or ‘Mafia’ look in there eyes and only death will please.

(Don’t look at the following photo if blood makes you sick)

As I told the Big Black Hen (of course the best egg layer in the house) as I reached down and grabbed her, peeling her off Little Buff Hen…”YOU STOP IT RIGHT NOW!!! I’m the biggest chicken in this house and I don’t put up with this kind of attitude!”

Some of you have asked if I know why this started…not really, but maybe…boredom! The whole flock loves to be outside running and flapping and dusting. But we had a huge snow storm Friday, which has left nothing uncovered. The next day we had a small melt, but that is all.

Although, I have a nice coop, with enough space (chickens need ten square feet per chicken) and a lovely covered run —I even cover it in plastic for winter time use such as this–they have refused to leave around the feeder and the water, except to lay their eggs.

This made them largely bunched up. Crowded and bored…I tried to push them out into the covered pen, but they squalled and squawked until they could get back in and make sure they had all the rights to the feeder. I put the feeder/water out with them…no they wanted the inside feeder/water.

It’s been a struggle and the result was bloody.

Shannon’s pens are larger and covered and empty. They won’t have electricity out there but they will have room. As time passes and everything calms back down I must bring another hen over to help with the loneliness and to help her bond back with the hens.

At night I will bring her into the house so she is warm. Not having other warm feathered bodies to huddle up too would be too much.

So that is where we are now. Everything starting to settle down and another snow storm due in here any minute. We have a 60% chance of snow by noon.

A chicken having room to ‘do stuff’ is good for healing. The other chickens (and Tommy) back at their original home. (Shannon decided if she was going to take the hens she might has well take her turkey home too.)

You friend on a farm in western Colorado,

Linda

The sun is shining here and it’s cold, cold, cold! Guess that means we will be having 6 more weeks of winter. (I’m not surprised, are you?)

On the news front–

No calves yet
We had a wee melt yesterday so that helps
I have a hurt chicken in the house

I would take a photo of this poor little hen, but you really don’t want to see. One of the other chickens (maybe all of the other chickens) ganged up oh her and ripped her comb off, bloodied her head and the side of her face and, possibly, damaged her eye.

I was out in the hen house when she came running to me and the big black hen ran just as fast and jumped right on her back and started pecking. I grabbed the black hen and got her off the little buff hen. Picked up the little buff hen and brought her to the house.

Inside I put her in the cat carrier, added water and food, but she just didn’t care. So I wrapped her in a towel and sat her on my lap. Gradually, gradually, I was able to get the blood all cleaned off and some water down her throat. It was a long haul.

She liked my lap. I talked to her, she talked back; little coo’s and chuckles of love. I wish I could understand hen. Off and on throughout the night I would check on her in her little cat carrier…”Are you okay, Little Hen?” I would whisper. “coo, coo, peep, chuckle”, she would reply back.

She is doing better today. We had a wee sit on my lap while I checked her over, petted her feathers and talked to her about how to take care of the pickle she is in. She and I decided that there is no way she can go back into the pen with the other girls. She thinks staying in the house would be just fine, although the cat carrier is rather uncomfortable. I could just let her out; she would enjoy the house.

Hummmm, I don’t think so, my fine little hen. I must do some sorting out there so you can go back and have lots of room to do things.

I called Shannon and asked her to come get the other hens, but to leave Tommy. This little hen will be able to stay with Tommy when I get all of the other sorted out. Tommy will be company and help with the body heat in the chicken house. We got down to 7* last night; I’m thinking another cold front must be moving in again.

On a brighter note I am going to take your advice and suggestions and writing a proper book about the dogs Everyday Life on the farm. It will be an eBook when I’m finished. I’ve talked to a knowledgeable lady who is willing to help me once I get everything in the proper format and length for publication.

Here is part of what she told me: The market for eBooks for children is rapidly evolving. As more and more school systems buy tablets for their children, more children have their own tablets and computers at a younger age, we think this is going to be the next huge market.”

I’m rather excited and a bit over-whelmed, but I’ve been working on this for sometime so I do have some ideas to begin with. I’m not sure if the Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer will be just for children or for everyone. I guess I will let them help me decided.

Anyway, I thank each and every one of your for your comments and private emails that have continued to encourage me to give this a go. Like one of you said, it never hurts to try.

Your friend,

Linda