Peek A Boo - Sick Chicken?

 This morning all the chickens were milling around in the pen
eager to grab some chopped up cabbage pieces,
but I didn't see Lonely.

I finally found her snug and warm in a nest box and happy to stay there.
I had to reach in and pick her up.
She was not getting up!

Lonely is either not feeling well

or is a
very smart chicken

and has decided to stay warm and safe from the bullies

until the other hens have all finished eating.

To play it safe I fixed up the dog crate with straw, water and feed

and put Lonely in the crate.

At least she can eat in peace. Sure hope she is not sick.

I covered the crate with the plastic drop
to make sure there are no drafts.
There are places for air to circulate.

Most of the leaves have finally hit the ground,

but it was a bit too cold today for me to start raking.

The thermometer read 38 ∘this morning.

I'll wait for the leaves to dry out a bit and for the temp to get warmer.

There are still patches of snow
in very shady spots. 

My paths are all covered with leaves.
What paths?

Peek at the Past
(January 4, 2010)
Oh, dear, seems we were sick last year too.
Kristine is going to the doctor tomorrow.

Tom had to go to the store to buy a working thermometer.
We have two, but one doesn't work
and the other is celsius.
Kristine may have got it when she was in Australia?
We don't do celsius in the states.
Well, at least I don't. 

[0 eggs today]
Tom bought another dozen eggs.
Sigh...

Smiles

♌

(𝄐 𝄐)

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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

♌

(𝄐 𝄐)

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