Big Chickey and his girls |
Blue Laced Red Wyandot Rooster |
Over the last month or so I've noticed that fewer and fewer hens are roosting with Big Chickey. They seem to prefer to roost with Booster. Yesterday morning when I went into the chicken house to feed and water the flock, I found Big Chickey crouched down in a corner by the door with his head bent down. I often find a chicken who is dying in that attitude. I checked to see if he was alive and he perked up a bit, but I thoroughly expected to find him dead when I came home last night.
When I returned home yesterday evening I was pleasantly surprised to find Big Chickey all alone walking along the driveway. I've never seen him out by himself before but thought perhaps he'd gone looking for left over corn among the cows and was late getting back to the house. All the other chickens including Booster had gone to bed. I herded Big Chickey into the chicken house and shut the door. He immediately wanted out and about two second later Booster attacked him.
Buff Orpington Hen |
This morning Big Chickey seemed fine though he looked a little bedraggled. He and the hen spent the day in the in their room. I kept the rest of the flock locked in the front room of the chicken house thinking it was best to keep eveyone in so they would all be equal in their confinement. This evening everyone was fine, but I don't dare let Big Chickey out with Booster yet. Obviously Booster and the hens have decided, or they sense, that Big Chickey is on the way out, and rather than tolerate him the way he tolerated Booster, Booster has decided to do away with him. This is the way of chickens. If a hen or rooster shows weakness, the rest of the flock will kill the sick, hurt or old animal. Such is the law of the jungle - or at least the chicken coop!
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