The main flock, complete with the seven 18-week-olds, was on-range today. Levi, my blue Wheaten Ameraucana, was with most of his own age group and only a few feet away from Dutch and a few of his girls. Then I see a commotion in among the leaves and underbrush and I see Levi mating one of his own girls, the Barred Rock Barbara, for the first time (eggs soon!). Dutch, being only a few feet away, sees the drama and casually walks toward Levi and Barbara, but stops short and doesn't seem to really care. I thought maybe it was because Barbara is one of the teenagers and not actually one of Dutch's girls yet, per se.
Barbara gets up and shakes off. Ivy, my very weak and dying, much older BR hen is scratching in the leaves nearby. Apparently, Levi likes the barred girls and he tried to jump Ivy, but met with some heavy resistance--feet were flying on both sides, Ivy trying to put him in his place and him trying to tell her who's boss. I am running over to where all the drama is happening to try to help Ivy, but they are down the hill in the tangle and I'm not getting there fast with my painful ankle. Ivy has egg peritionitis and is laying internally, so her abdomen is swollen, even after we drained off over 300 cc of fluid from her, and she is bone thin- certainly not up to being manhandled by some young upstart.
Levi backs off a few steps and Ivy tries to walk away, but Levi seizes the opportunity and jumps her. She is screaming and falling over and is so weak, she can't get her footing under him. Dutch is clucking uneasily, but he doesn't come to save her! DH jumps in and grabs Levi off Ivy, actually holding him by the neck like he's going to snap it, but I tell him that Levi is just a youngster and isn't doing anything really wrong, so go easy on him. Ivy is my concern. She is sitting down, trying to catch her breath and I go scoop her up and take her into the coop to sit in the air from the fans. Levi is being held by DH, who is petting him and talking to him and he seems quite calm and content. When we let him down, he goes after Olivia, my other ill hen, circling her with his shoulder dropped, but Olivia is wise to him and runs at him in protest. He backs off with some warning from my DH.
So, what's up with Dutch?? He is just over two years old and he is actually allowing Levi to mate the hens. I'd wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. Ivy is sitting inside the coop and her sister, Lexie, is by her side watching over her. She is going to die, but I don't want her hurt and stressed right now, on top of what's happening to her internally. Dutch doesn't mate her anymore. Dang teenage rooster.
The players in today's drama:
Dutch
Levi:
Ivy in the background, Olivia in the foreground:
Barbara:
Barbara gets up and shakes off. Ivy, my very weak and dying, much older BR hen is scratching in the leaves nearby. Apparently, Levi likes the barred girls and he tried to jump Ivy, but met with some heavy resistance--feet were flying on both sides, Ivy trying to put him in his place and him trying to tell her who's boss. I am running over to where all the drama is happening to try to help Ivy, but they are down the hill in the tangle and I'm not getting there fast with my painful ankle. Ivy has egg peritionitis and is laying internally, so her abdomen is swollen, even after we drained off over 300 cc of fluid from her, and she is bone thin- certainly not up to being manhandled by some young upstart.
Levi backs off a few steps and Ivy tries to walk away, but Levi seizes the opportunity and jumps her. She is screaming and falling over and is so weak, she can't get her footing under him. Dutch is clucking uneasily, but he doesn't come to save her! DH jumps in and grabs Levi off Ivy, actually holding him by the neck like he's going to snap it, but I tell him that Levi is just a youngster and isn't doing anything really wrong, so go easy on him. Ivy is my concern. She is sitting down, trying to catch her breath and I go scoop her up and take her into the coop to sit in the air from the fans. Levi is being held by DH, who is petting him and talking to him and he seems quite calm and content. When we let him down, he goes after Olivia, my other ill hen, circling her with his shoulder dropped, but Olivia is wise to him and runs at him in protest. He backs off with some warning from my DH.
So, what's up with Dutch?? He is just over two years old and he is actually allowing Levi to mate the hens. I'd wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. Ivy is sitting inside the coop and her sister, Lexie, is by her side watching over her. She is going to die, but I don't want her hurt and stressed right now, on top of what's happening to her internally. Dutch doesn't mate her anymore. Dang teenage rooster.
The players in today's drama:
Dutch
Levi:
Ivy in the background, Olivia in the foreground:
Barbara:
