Totally taken by surprise with a chicken. Oy.

Date sort Score sort
Judy925

Judy925

In the Brooder
Oct 23, 2016
27
20
29
Corona, CA
Hi all. I have a wonderful neighbor whose big black chicken likes to jump our 6' wall and visit me while I garden, which was fine with me. They thought I was lonely so they bought me my own chicken last month. We scrambled like mad to figure out what to do with this guy. She was handed to us in a small cat carrier along with a HUGE bag of feed. This is how one of the worst days I've ever had ended. We were told she is a cochin chicken, 6 weeks old. I'm an animal lover so I was really stuck. We have rigged an 8-sided outdoor pen against our retainer wall so she would have more room. We pushed through 3 broom handles and notched them so they wouldn't turn. She has a plastic rectangular plant drainer to sit on and her food and water. It's about 10' by 6' and 5' high with chicken wire over the top. We also have a huge dog kennel which we equipped with food, water, cardboard bottom, and 2 notched perches (more old broom sticks) which we put her in at night (in our family room, no less) and then cover her with a blanket. And so began a family daily ritual around this crazy bird.

I'm doing my best to bond with her. I read these types are "lap birds" but don't tell that to this chicken. She a Head and Shoulders girl if ever (at least at first). I tried to hand feed her. I was snubbed. I have spent more time than I can count sitting in that outdoor pen with her talking, petting her, trying to get her to acknowledge me... only to find out she's a snob. She screams like I'm about to kill her when I pick her up but LOVES when I get her nestled in my arms so we can walk around and look at everything in the yard. She loves when I get my fingers under her feathers to massage her. To my surprise she also likes baths. Well, it's more like a dip in a pyrex bowl with tepid water since she has a talent to step right into her gunk. She gets real calm, and closes her eyes while I let water run down her feathers.

What I'm trying to say here is I'm probably doing everything wrong. We don't have money for a fancy chicken coop and even if we did, we would still bring her in at night what with scorpions and tarantula hawks running around (we live in a southern California desert community). I don't want her to overtake my whole existence, so I'm trying to find a good balance. Any info, advice, words of wisdom... ANYTHING would be appreciated. Thank you all.

PS: I have 2 very jealous cats who she loves to torture. Welcome to my world.
 
Hi Potato Chip - Because we are brilliant people (not bragging - just a genetic fact), we are being very careful to pick her name. After all, she has to live with it the rest of her life. This is my concern: How many children have suffered the pang of disappointment when they walked into a souvenir shop only to find not ONE item, not a keychain, bicycle license plate, mug or bracelet with their name on it? I know they can make them up in the back room now, but let's face it, it's just not the same. So we stick to the tried and true names that have existed since biblical times. I once was tempted to name our dog Fido, but was bent on spelling it with a french twist: Phydeaux. The Vet's secretary cried when she tried to type her label so we named her Buddie.

For Birdie (or baby bird - girl as it says on her hospital bracelet) I've been playing with names like Joyce, Sheryl, Joanne, Oprah and Diane. My husband says Tweetie Bird, Henny or Chicklet. My sons on the other hand are coming up with names like Marsala, Kiev, Cordon Bleu, and Parmesan. I'm putting them up for adoption.
 
Greetings from Kansas and :welcome! Pleased to have you aboard. Well, you sound slightly overwhelmed but it sounds like you're doing okay. My best advice is to read - read - read in the Learning Center here https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center In no time you'll be up to speed on everything you need to know. But feel free to ask any questions you might have along the way. Best wishes! :)
 
Nice to meet you Judy, sorry you are having this aggravation from a 6 week old chick. Too bad your neighbor didn't let you keep the big black one who enjoyed your company..

Chickens are flock animals and do much better with a couple companions. MAYBE(???) if there were others the chick might learn how to be a regular chicken instead of spoiled prima donna. At least she'd have something else to scream about. There is a chance you were given this chick because it was driving them nuts.
 
Welcome to BYC! It's great to have you.

Sounds like you are doing your best by her. However, it's imperative that you get her a companion or two. Chickens do not do well on their own - they are social creatures by nature. The only exception would be house chickens who are bonded to their keepers, however a house chicken kept on their own would require the same sort of time commitment (or more) as a dog or similar animal and require lots of daily interaction and attention.
 
Hi there, and welcome to Backyard Chickens! Sounds like you are doing a great job taking care of her! Would get her a companion though. I have heard that being a only chicken can make them act crazy, she might calm down a bit if she had a Buddy.... Thanks for joining, I hope you enjoy BYC as much as I have!
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom