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A french saying that I think works as an exact equivalent in English : hell is paved with good intentions
. I'm not beating myself up because I think he will get over it, but it could have easily been avoided.First, I also hope you don't feel too bad about it ! I am constantly amazed at how important stress and it's opposite mental well-being are important for chicken's health. I have always believed in holistic approaches for human medicine and that it was a mistake to think that physical issues could be treated without taking into account feelings, or psychology, or whatever. And seeing the chickens it's amazing how true that is on a very basic, instinctive level. Going back to Chirk, likely it will take him a number of days with no breaks in his enclosure to believe he is safe indeed.
No, I think that's unfair to Théo. I have never locked him up with the whole chicken squad including Gaston during the day, and only once in the morning we didn't open the run while we were away ; there was no way he could expect it. When the two roosters stay together in the coop and run because of bad weather, the door is always open and Théo can run out in the rain /snow whenever he feels afraid.
It has gotten a whole lot better than it was. The only problem is if we want to go away before or after roost time which would mean locking them together like this, which does not work. If we leave during the day Théo can stay outside.
Not really, since the bleeding didn't stop. And I wasn't surprised because applying pressure on the tip of a nail can't really be as effective as on a wound on skin ! In retrospect I think doing a dressing would have helped more.Btw: You do a great job to heal his wounds like a real expert!
Anyway Théo was a lot better this morning, but by no means back to normal. While he doesn't seem to be in schock anymore he had a lot of times out during the day, and he still stands on one foot. He had enough confidence to tidbit the hens and stay in the yard with Gaston. When he went on a hike with Piou-piou outside Mélisse and Annette followed him and of course Gaston quickly came to get his hens back.
We are having a few beautiful days with a lot of strong wind, which is really annoying for the chickens and for me, then it should rain again. So many raptors are flying over the place again ; I can now really see the difference between the four pullets hatched here in regard to free ranging. Mélisse and Annette are both very daring and more clever. They know how to watch for themselves. Lulu is constantly wanting to wander but she doesn't have a clue about how to go back or that she should be watching the sky when she is far from the roosters. And Laure doesn't care at all for free ranging. She prefers to be near Gaston and to be safe in the chicken yard. She has a very strongly established routine and she panicked if anything goes different.
We are swarmed in eggs, so we found another regular customer, the guy that repairs the bus at my partner's job. We are now selling 36 eggs a week, and getting around ten daily. It's a problem I didn't anticipate with having so many hens that are one and two years old. But I suppose they will lay a lot less in a year or two.
Blanche still has a bit of nice chicken times during the day, but she is declining. I am realising we will have only Nougat left of the ex-batt's when she passes. It will certainly feel very strange.
Annette action shot.
) but all of my chickens are really intent on sleeping together in the main coop, and Théo would likely hurt himself trying to escape if we locked him in either for the night.
