Chicken Mysteries
This morning when I opened the chicken door, Suzy Creamcheese was nowhere to be seen. From what I’ve read about predators, most will leave some trace behind. If your chickens are up and just flat out disappearing, that means someone has taken them. “Who would steal my chicken?” I thought to myself. No one, it turns out. I went to the back door, and could see that two other chickens were just sitting on her and blocking her from view. You got me, chickens!
Saturday night I looked in and one of the Mandrell Sisters was pecking another Mandrell Sister in the back, for no reason that I could tell. I reached in and broke it up, but I could tell there was a little blood, and when that happens, they’ll start pecking at the blood, and then it’s a bad cycle. In the rain, Collin and I went out and I put Bag Balm on the spot. The Agway wasn’t open to get the stuff people recommend for this, but Bag Balm will do in a pinch, as it is also antiseptic and tastes bad if they peck it. Later that day we let them out, and sure enough, if one pecked the balmed spot, they didn’t do it again. Of course, chickens being chickens, the balm got all covered in crud, but at least they’ll leave it alone. If not, I’ll have to separate them, and I’m not sure where to put an extra chicken right now. I have no idea what prompted the pecking. They have a pecking post in the coop, but maybe getting off the roost to use it was too much to ask. Chickens are as lazy as everyone else.
Pulled a nice bit carrot out of the garden yesterday too. I tried to get Graham to pose with it, but it had dirt on it, so he wanted nothing to do with it.
