HAYBALE: UPDATE

[WallyBirdie]

I believe we are kindred spirits, WallyBirdie. My Dottie was given to me by the local feed store last fall because she was the last mystery pullet in the store. As always, I brooded her in the house -- except she was my first lone chick and by the time she was fully feathered, it was too cold to put her outside, alone without chicken friends. I tried, but none of the others seemed to like her and I couldn't bear to see her picked on.

Dottie, I decided, would spend the winter indoors and move outside in the spring. In the meantime, she had a large dog crate to kennel in when I wasn't home, and the blind cat didn't seem to mind her. At night, she roosted on a towel-covered rocking chair (I'm so proud of you for litter training Haybale).

I added a dog in March, and they co-existed peacefully, most of the time. But weather was getting warmer, I was using a lot of paper products to clean up after Dottie (although it was adorable -- but uncomfortable -- to wake up on the sofa with a bird, a cat and a dog on top of me), and, she's a chicken.

So, I tried my best to kind someone who would befriend her. No deal. She seemed afraid of even the lowest hen in the pecking order. She has been going outside during the day and spending her nights in the house, crated. Once she started to lay, having eggs everywhere would have been too tempting for the dog and cat.

Now, once it starts getting cold, she can't really bounce back and forth between indoors and outdoors, so I'm pretty sure she will be a house chicken.

When I was a kid, we had parakeets and a mynah bird. True, a chicken isn't exactly the same, but a bird is a bird, right? And the budgies and mynah NEVER gave us lovely blue eggs!

I look forward to updates on you and your precious Haybale!

Thank you so much for sharing your story about Dottie, and for the underrated but much appreciated use of 'kindred spirits.' (As a literary enthusiast, it is always nice to see uncommon words and phrases, and I have not seen that in a while.)

For you to take in Dottie and give her that kind of time and patience and life- she has been blessed and in turn has surely enriched your life. Like you said, a bird is a bird. As long as the arrangement works and your feathered friend is happy and healthy that's what matters.

About litter training- it was never intentional. It just sort of happened. I had HB (Haybale) since hatch, and the brooder hadn't been set up, so he temporarily went into a spare bird cage that had a door that opened like a ramp. When he was active enough that the space in the cage wasn't quite big enough- but still decidedly too small to toss into a big brooder by himself- I would let him out for short but frequent periods of time, and to prevent messes, I'd sit him back in the cage or into a shallow box when he was ready to potty. (There are signs when they do; their body's tense up and sometimes there's a little tail flick.) This was purely to keep him from leaving messes all over. He was just shy of two months old when I had him out (of a modified brooder with netted see-through walls and a sliding door on the side- no more cage), and I noticed he would make trips into his brooder when he needed to potty. This led to him being out almost constantly when I could supervise. The only time he leaves a mess is when he is roosting and ready to take a nap, in which case I have a shallow bin or newspaper under him.

Much thanks for sharing your experience. I was a little concerned that I would get spammed with unsavory comments about it being animal cruelty to keep a house chicken.

 

[N F C]

I believe we are kindred spirits, WallyBirdie. My Dottie was given to me by the local feed store last fall because she was the last mystery pullet in the store. As always, I brooded her in the house -- except she was my first lone chick and by the time she was fully feathered, it was too cold to put her outside, alone without chicken friends. I tried, but none of the others seemed to like her and I couldn't bear to see her picked on.

Dottie, I decided, would spend the winter indoors and move outside in the spring. In the meantime, she had a large dog crate to kennel in when I wasn't home, and the blind cat didn't seem to mind her. At night, she roosted on a towel-covered rocking chair (I'm so proud of you for litter training Haybale).

I added a dog in March, and they co-existed peacefully, most of the time. But weather was getting warmer, I was using a lot of paper products to clean up after Dottie (although it was adorable -- but uncomfortable -- to wake up on the sofa with a bird, a cat and a dog on top of me), and, she's a chicken.

So, I tried my best to kind someone who would befriend her. No deal. She seemed afraid of even the lowest hen in the pecking order. She has been going outside during the day and spending her nights in the house, crated. Once she started to lay, having eggs everywhere would have been too tempting for the dog and cat.

Now, once it starts getting cold, she can't really bounce back and forth between indoors and outdoors, so I'm pretty sure she will be a house chicken.

When I was a kid, we had parakeets and a mynah bird. True, a chicken isn't exactly the same, but a bird is a bird, right? And the budgies and mynah NEVER gave us lovely blue eggs!

I look forward to updates on you and your precious Haybale!

Loved your story of Dottie!

 

[WallyBirdie]

 

[Callender Girl]

If anyone spams you about Haybale, they'll have me to deal with, WallyBirdie!!

 

[WallyBirdie]

Had a warm day. Had Haybale playing in the yard- literal playing, chasing small toys and climbing on everything.
It was good... until he spotted a butterfly. He panicked, made a horrible sound, and flew up onto my shoulder, shaking like a leaf. I took him inside, and he ran over to sit in the dog's bed with him.


There's a noticeable moment when things go from good to NOT OKAY.

 

[Callender Girl]

Omigosh! Poor Haybale!! Who knew butterflies were such beastly things?? Good thing he had his person and his dog to comfort him.

He is, btw, still adorably cute.

 

[WallyBirdie]

Omigosh! Poor Haybale!! Who knew butterflies were such beastly things?? Good thing he had his person and his dog to comfort him.

He is, btw, still adorably cute.

Mean ol butterflies... scaring my little boy. In all honesty, it's strange that butterflies scare him but he plays with the dog and chases the cats.
I'm glad he finds safety with me. Makes me feel like a good bird daddy.

And thank you. He sure is a little goof.

 

[N F C]

Mean ol butterflies... scaring my little boy. In all honesty, it's strange that butterflies scare him but he plays with the dog and chases the cats.
I'm glad he finds safety with me. Makes me feel like a good bird daddy.

And thank you. He sure is a little goof.

Poor little guy, does he always react that way to butterflies?

Glad he has a good bird dad to protect him!

 

[WallyBirdie]

Poor little guy, does he always react that way to butterflies?

Glad he has a good bird dad to protect him!

He hasn't encountered many, but yes, he is consistent with being terrified of them. The first time, it was funny. Now I just focus on the fact that those butterflies are vicious and he literally shakes with fear after an encounter.

And thank you. I do my best.

 

[WallyBirdie]

3 months old, on the dot! Feels like I've had HB so much longer but the calendar doesn't lie.

Beautiful color changes underway.

Having a good time outside.

"Can I play with the cat?"

"It's getting cold. Let's go in, dad."

Haybale has his own blankets (washed regularly) and he is allowed on the couch.

We have a weekly schedule, and he enjoys sitting with me to watch tv.

He does get to have his heat lamp on even though he doesn't need it. Sometimes he likes to nap near it or stretch out and bask under it.
He still goes outside almost daily, but he's always happy to return inside.

I think he's big for 3 months. But I'm not sure. I love him anyway.