Well. Hmmm.
It's been a GOOD day but not perfect.
And all was going exactly as planned until Miss Betty decided that she needed to go back out into the coop with all the chickens and Sam pecked her head bloody.
Jesus.
I sort of fixed up the old nursery coop and have her in there now so he cannot get to her. I feel sick. I mean the back of her head looks terrible. I put hydrogen peroxide on it and mixed up more antibiotic ointment and golden seal and thinned it with olive oil (I am going entirely by the seat of my pants here) and put that on her poor little head. I had to thin the mixture because her wound was so bloody, even after I blotted it, that the goop wouldn't stick.
I fed her some grapes, which she ate, gave her fresh hay to snuggle in and sugar water (she has to be in shock) and fresh food. I will put her in the hen house after all the rest of the chickens have settled down. I think it's too chilly for her to stay outside in the little coop.
I just don't know what to do. I mean, is Mr. Moon supposed to build an entire new coop and hen house for those chickens who cannot get along with the others?
I know Betty is lonely. Chickens are extremely social animals.
I wish she and the dogs would get along. I'd let her stay in the house with me. I swear. I would.
And I can't let her roam around outside because I have two cats. And they can't come in the house because (a) I don't want them there, and (b) The Dogs.
All of this is making me think about Noah's Ark and what a bullshit story that one is. I can't even get three different species of animals to get along peacefully. How in hell did Noah get every species on earth to settle down in that Ark? One wonders how many species never made it through the flood, either being eaten by another species or being tossed overboard by Mrs. Noah when Noah's back was turned.
Well. This ain't no Noah's Ark around here, it's The Church Of The Batshit Crazy and lions decidedly do not lay down with lambs and I suppose chickens cannot live in the house.
Dammit.
You seem to have need of a chicken whisperer.
ReplyDeleteJo- I think you should not be surprised that there IS a chicken whisperer. Ms. Fleur has been writing them on my behalf to try and figure out the solution to Miss Betty's problem. Unfortunately, all the solutions are to permanently separate them, which I may end up having to do.
ReplyDeleteI am thinking I might actually need a chicken dinner.
I highly recommend Robyn and Fred at bitchypoo.com - they keep LOTS of chickens, of many types, AND have two Great Pyrenes dogs who look after the chickens. AND they have free-roaming cats who leave the chickens alone...
ReplyDeleteYou could ask Robyn in her comments about chicken Issues, they've dealt with LOTS.
Hugs,
Mary
And the chicken doth layeth not with the canine nor the feline.
ReplyDeleteHey bop on over to my place. I dedicated something to you... I guess I should have read the entire thing first, but Griffin was bellowing! The first paragraph or so... all you. :-)
xo pf
Mary- What a great blog! I would put it in my reader but I already spend about eight hours a day trying to keep up with what's already there.
ReplyDeleteI know the answer- separate the hen from the rooster. I just haven't figured out how to do this properly. Thanks for the recommendation.
Ms. Fleur- The one about Dilbert?
Are we sure the cats would kill Miss Betty? I know cats can; I don't know the personalities of yours and if they would think it too much bother.
ReplyDeleteAre we sure the cats would kill Miss Betty? I know cats can; I don't know the personalities of yours and if they would think it too much bother.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Miss Betty is Rush Limbaugh's archetype animal or whatever that expression is. That would explain a lot, because I imagine the other chickens are politically correct?
ReplyDeletePoor Betty. I hope your salve works.
ReplyDeleteI feel sick for poor Betty too...I wonder if you could call the woman who took the other roosters, and maybe trade Sam in for a new model? Or is that too cruel for the other hens? Not too sure about chicken's...well, pecking order. ;)
ReplyDeleteHahahahaha
ReplyDeletehahahahahahahaha
hahahaha
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hahahahahahahahahahaha
haha
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I read you post and was feeling all sorry for the chicken, and was thinking along the same lines as "Jo" when I suddenly read the last line of your response!
Hahahaha
If you do make chicken dinner, we want pictures.
Not "Jo". Just Jo. Really.
ReplyDeletepoor betty:-((((( and poor sam..you cant give any of them away...:-/
ReplyDeleteI'd build the ENTIRE NEW COOP. Or, let me re-phrase that--I'd be EXTRA NICE to Mr. Moon, when he comes home, so that HE will build an ENTIRE NEW COOP. He's a good builder and shit. He's also a nice guy, so I don't think he'll mind.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about sweet little Betty.
I love you shitloads. I hope your day improves.
I had no idea that chickens could be so violent with each other. Poor little Ms. Betty. :( Hope her wound is closing up/ healing today. You're taking good care of her with the grapes, hay, love and ointment, etc..and perhaps that's all you can do.
ReplyDeleteI gotta say...your cats wouldn't piss and poop on the floor...they're outside & the dogs that do are in?
ReplyDelete