Chicken Soap Opera Continues...

Okay, so in the days before Thanksgiving and knowing we would be out of town, I was trying to incorporate Lizzie back into the chicken coop. The problem was the other chickens forgot who she was and started thumping on her. Normally, I let them just duke it out, but this time I couldn't. She is still injured, yet healing, and it's two beating up on one.

What to do?? Not sure yet, but on Wednesday afternoon I go to check on the two remaining ones outside, Maisy and Daisy. Suddenly, Maisy is gone. I mean gone. I was freaking out, just knowing I would find a pile of feathers and a glance at a satisfied raccoon. I look all over, and find her cowering in a corner.

I figured out what happened. The leak in our fencing into the coop that allowed the raccoon in also has allowed our 60 pound dog, Clementine, in. I had let the dog out earlier, and she had been inside now for about two hours. I think Clementine roughed up Maisy. I can't get too mad. How do you tell a dog to go after small animals (rats, squirrels, and raccoons) and not the small chickens?

Maisy is not nearly as tame as Lizzie, yet she let me pick her up and examine her. Her wings were fine, no blood, just limped a bit but no broken bones. I think she is just bruised a bit.

Now what? We are even further from what to do with all these critters! No one wants to babysit beaten up chickens! First things first, I sat on my behind in that chicken coop and pulled out chicken wire, dug up dirt, reinstalled galvanized wire, buried the wired 6+ inches below the surface, and buried it under river rock. Good luck to the next critter who tries to dig under it.

Next, my neighbor volunteered to take Lizzie for the few days if she were in an animal carrier. Done! She also agreed to come over and lock up chickens at night. I love my neighbor! She absolutely loved taking care of Lizzie, her grandson came over to see her and enjoyed her sweet cooing.

Okay, a few days ago, I am cleaning up Maisy a bit and holding her down. I clip her little claws, and sure enough, clipped too close and her toenail starts bleeding profusely. Luckily I have stryptic which is an instant bonding agent that stopped the bleeding.

Right after I got her bleeding under control, and put her back in her coop, the dog decides to try to escape and gets her leg wedged under our fence. It took both my husband and I to unwedge her. Her yelping could be heard for blocks.

Lord have mercy on our critters!

All that to say, the plan for Lizzie. I have been putting her little animal carrier out in the coop with the chickens so they can get reacquainted without beating each other up. It seems to be working. Plus, with Maisy being a bit gimpy it's taken the fight out of her a bit. Yesterday, Maisy and Daisy were all cuddled up on the outside of the door to the carrier cooing at Lizzie.

Today, I stopped in the kitchen with Lizzie to go outside. I opened the door to replace her water, and she just starts strutting around my kitchen. Thank goodness the dog didn't see her! She really seemed ready to go outside. She wasn't cowering in the corner anymore. She seems recovered, not just healing. Her head still has matted feathers, and I think we'll just wait for those to work themselves out.

I put her outside with Maisy and Daisy today, not in the carrier. Instead of attacking Lizzie right off the bat, Maisy and Daisy just acted curious. After a few minutes, there was a bit of squawking and posturing, but Lizzie was defending herself. There is a need to redefine pecking order, and I understand that, but it wasn't a fair fight 10 days ago when I first tried to put her out there. She would have been reinjured. Now, they are all getting to know each other again, with just a few squabbles.

And more restful nights for me.