When I let the chickens out to roam this morning, two of the bantams were fiercer than usaual with they morning hierarchy scuffle. So much so that I stood and watched them for 5 minutes. Both had their hackles raised, leaping up into the air at each other, each pulling out the other's feathers. Quite impressive.
Went back to get something from the barn 3 hours later....and they were STILL fighting. More like an all out war...but the older one, a sweet little hen, was obviously tired, and both were covered in mud.
So, I brought them both in, gave them baths, dried them, and put the younger in 'solitary confinement'. The hen is in a box under a heat lamp now; with neosporin all over her head for the wounds.
It seems that no matter how long you have chickens, they'll do something different to 'catch you off guard'! These two have acted like 'best friends' for the last 2 months.., and now..?... I guess one of them had some ambition to move further up the pecking order....
Went back to get something from the barn 3 hours later....and they were STILL fighting. More like an all out war...but the older one, a sweet little hen, was obviously tired, and both were covered in mud.
So, I brought them both in, gave them baths, dried them, and put the younger in 'solitary confinement'. The hen is in a box under a heat lamp now; with neosporin all over her head for the wounds.
It seems that no matter how long you have chickens, they'll do something different to 'catch you off guard'! These two have acted like 'best friends' for the last 2 months.., and now..?... I guess one of them had some ambition to move further up the pecking order....
