The condition of our sick chicken has improved daily. The past three days we've allowed her to free-range with the rest of the flock in the late afternoons. But when it comes time to go to roost, she doesn't head to the hen house with the rest of the ladies. She settles in to roost in the barn. Her choice? Or is she being bullied? Has she fallen so far down the pecking order that the other hens won't even let her in the coop? I haven't witnessed any pecking or other hurtful behavior, but I haven't been outside exactly at beddy-bye time. I'll have to pay better attention.
In other yard bird news, we've found two different possums in the hen house on two different occasions since the weekend. Rouse went out late one night to close everything up and sensed an unusual movement in the coop. There on the perches, midst the slumbering chickens, was a young possum! He was playing chicken. Rouse chased him away. Then Sunday night, Rouse and I both went to close up the chickens sort of late ... after Sunday dinner. There was a different possum, in the feed container, feasting away! It didn't seem to bother him at all that we had interrupted his supper, until Rouse alternately shooed and punted him out of the hen house.
We're lucky to not have lost any chickens. Lesson learned? It really is important to close up the chickens at dusk, before the bad predators come out. Now that these critters are in the habit of frequenting our hen house, we may have to get out the ol' have-a-heart trap and carry out "Operation Possum Relocation". Anybody want a possum?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment