My chicken, O my chicken . . .
I have a little black frizzle (her feathers curl upward) who’s been with me several years. Blackie is sprightly and actually a little mean to the other hens, but she’s healthy.
But last week I let the chickens out and noticed that the rooster, who’s always the first one out of the coop, had flattened her on the ground. I just assumed he was being a little over-eager, but once he moved away, I noticed that Blackie stayed flat on the ground–that’s not good.
I pulled her out of the run and saw that one eye was closed, her legs were extended toward the back, and she was breathing heavily. Chickens hardly ever close their eyes in day time (too many predators to worry about), but they always close them when they’re dying. I worried about Blackie and put her in a quiet corner in the coop, hoping she’d be okay.
About an hour later I checked on her, and she wasn’t any better. In fact, she was being swarmed by mosquitoes and flies, so I picked her up and put her in this little fort on my grandkids’ swing set. I figured it’d be quiet there, and shaded, and if she was dying, at least she could have some peace. I thought about euthanizing her, but I just can’t bring myself to wring a chicken’s neck.
About an hour later I went back, thinking she’d surely have passed, but both eyes were open! She was still breathing heavy, but it was terribly hot, so I put her back in the coop. I had no sooner set her down than the rooster came over and pecked her, hard, on the head. That settled it for me. He just had it in for her.
So I took Blackie into the garage, which stays cooler. I have a brooder bin I created for chicks, so I put here in there, along with some water, and I made sure she drank a bit before I left her alone.
The next day, Black was up on her feet and drinking! So I gave her some food and left her alone again, wanting to make sure she was well-recovered.
And yesterday Blackie was fine, so I took her to another bantam (small hen) coop and left her there. The rooster in that coop is smaller, so less of a threat. He promptly came over and started strutting around her in his little dance, but he didn’t harass her, so that was good.
End of Blackie’s story–she’s now settle into the second coop and seems to be doing well. I’m so glad I didn’t give up on her! (There’s a lesson in there!)
I have another hen, Mademoiselle, who started acting poorly. I brought her into the house and gave her an Epson salts bath, but though that helped a bit, she stopped coming out of the coop in the mornings. (They sleep in the coop, but every morning they troop out and go into the run. At sunset, they go back into the coop, just like clockwork).
Because we don’t keep food or water in the coop, I’ve been having to pick Mademoiselle up and carry her all the way down to the front of the run and escort her in. She seems to be fine–I think she just likes the personal delivery service and the special attention.
And that’s the news from the coop! The girls aren’t laying as much in this heat (I don’t blame them), and soon they’ll be molting. Then the eggs come slower and slower until the winter solstice, then the pace picks back up again. I’m so happy God made chickens! Do you have chickens? Do you love them as much as I do?
~Angie
