Monday, January 03, 2011

Chicken Eats Alone

Poor Lonely. She is the only Dark Brahma we have left and I think she is the victim of chicken racism.

I find it a bit amazing that the hens seem to form clicks based on color. The Light Brahmas are chums, so are the Wyandottes, the Buff Brahmas, Australorps and the Orpingtons.

There are mixed groups and the hens move around together, but the hens do seem to recognize what breed they are. I should spend more time watching the hens interact before making any blanket statements.

Lonely used to hang out with her sister Dark Brahma, but once we lost that hen... Lonely was all alone. The two Buff Brahmas will sometimes hang out with her, but one of the Buffs picks on Lonely and the other Buff.

And the other hens are not nice to her at all. There are no missing feathers or peck damage, but the other hens run her around and they don't let her eat with them. Bullies!

So, this morning I made a place for Lonely to have a quiet meal all by herself. Poor girl.

Lonely is a big girl and I don't think she is missing any meals, but I do think she has to wait until the other hens are finished eating or have gone to roost before she can eat. I'll be so glad when things warm up and we can let the chickens out to free range during the day.

It has been too wet, rainy, snowy, cold, etc., to keep Morgan out all day watching the chickens. The weather is supposed to get up into the 50's later this week... so maybe we can all get outside. I'll move the leaves around with the rake, the chickens can scratch up the leaves, and Morgan can run through the leaves. Well, not really... the leaves are too wet to do anything but squish.

Come Spring I think we should expand the flock a bit and get a few chicks to help with egg production and we'll be sure that some of the chicks are Dark Brahmas. That ought to even up the score around the coop.

Kristine is still sick. I'm eating blueberries and drinking lots of tea. Not that I think that will help... I just like blueberries and tea.

Peek at the Past
January 3, 2010
(no peek - no post last year)
Wonder why?

[0 eggs today]

Smiles

(𝄐 𝄐)
' \'

7 comments:

DevonMaid said...

Yes, my 'birds of a feather stick together', too! I always assumed it was because we'd added them in groups, so perhaps next time I'll get a mixed batch and see if it makes any difference! (We have ex-batts, Light Sussex, Rhode Rocks and Welsummers)

Kateri said...

Chickens can be so mean! A few years ago I added two brown adult hens to my coop (don't know the breed) and my california whites (who were still young and not even laying yet where so incredibly mean to them. They never accepted the new hens even after six months and I eventually gave the brown hens away as pair to someone who wanted them as pets so they could have a happy life. However, this spring I added silver laced wyandottes to the coop--and after the inital week or two of pecking and bullying the wyandottes were accepted and are treated as equals. (It could be because two of them are roosters?) Whenever a chicken (of any breed) gets sick, I have to keep here separate from the rest of the flock other wise the heathy ones will bully her to death. Chickens sure don't have any compassion!

Hopeful said...

poor lonely! i do think you're right, though. my girls are rascist also and only hang out with their own color, ha ha. reds with reds, whites with whites and the two minority misfits with one another. i found it helpful when i put two feeders and that way the underdogs always seem to get a fighting chance to eat. hope spring comes soon so lonely can get some new friends. hoping that the family feels better soon!

Jayme Goffin, The Coop Keeper said...

I notice the VERY same thing about my chickens. All the same breeds seem to flock together. I suppose there's truth to the old saying! I see you are getting zero eggs too. I got two yesterday and I was thrilled. I've had to buy eggs lately and I don't like it one bit!

LindaG said...

I continue to pray and hope that you two will get well soon!
I'll look forward to Lonely getting some friends. :)

Becky's Barnyard said...

There definetly a pecking order. My do it also but right now everyone seems to click together pretty good. at least until it is time to go in the hen house.

Knatolee said...

Poo Lonely, she's so pretty! Hope she gets some new friends this year. I've noticed colour segregation in my coop, too!