Speaking of poop...yesterday was coop cleaning time and I also cleaned out the run as well so the girls would be able to take some nice dust baths. Everybody got inspected for lice and mites since they've been losing feathers, but I can confidently say that I found no evidence of any nasty bugs. Just in case, I dusted their coop. roost and run with diatomaceous earth and sprayed Poultry Protector on the girls.
While I cleaned, J. kept an eye on the girls as they free-ranged and this gave him the opportunity to spot the feather pickers. The main offender, Cruella (a Barred Rock who has always been somewhat of a bully), got put into chicken jail in another part of the yard. And, boy, she was NOT happy with the idea! I wouldn't be either - it's probably like going from a 4-star hotel to a tent since chicken jail is a doghouse with a temporary chicken wire run. She'll have to stay there for a week and we'll see if busting her down lower in the pecking order stops the behavior. I certainly hope so or the alternatives for her aren't good.
On a happy note, Henrietta enjoyed a nice dirt bath and hanging out with the Austrolorps yesterday afternoon. They are much nicer hens and seemed to accept her back into the flock with just a few small altercations. J. and I got a kick out of all the growling, squawking, purring and other noises that she was making during her spa bath. If you're never heard a chicken growl, you haven't lived.
Hope you had an interesting weekend, or at least one that didn't involve jail. :-)
0 comments:
Post a Comment