Tonight, we let the main flock wander in on their own since it was so warm. When I went to lock the pop door, of course, my little sight-impaired and very spoiled Ameraucana, Tiny, had to get a personal lift into the coop. After putting her inside and locking the pop door, I noticed that my Lt. Brahma, Miranda, was underneath the coop, highly unusual occurrence at roost time. As I squatted down to coax her to me, I saw that her "sister", Caroline, my Buff Brahma was crammed into a small semi-protected spot, sitting on the ground. Miranda refused to leave her.
I called DH, who took a length of pvc pipe and shooed Miranda out, and Caroline stood up and limped toward us. Upon palpating the leg, we realized that her left hock joint was very tender. Could be that Isaac was too rough mating her or caught her in a weird position and hyperextended that joint. Caroline had set herself to spend the night underneath the coop and Miranda fully intended to stay alongside her sister. I did notice earlier that Caroline was limping a bit and that Miranda was hanging very close to her all day.
I've seen second-in-command hens preside over the deaths of the head hen on more than one occasion. It's always very touching to see how they do care for one another and I'm very glad that I have been able to witness their fondness or duty toward each other, though it's usually a very sad occasion. I'm not sure what actually happened to Caroline, but she and Miranda are spending the night in the broody pen where no rooster will bother either of them. Seems that it may be time for those two to go into the Old Hens' Coop since they are over four years old now. In that coop, they won't be bothered by a big, heavy, amorous rooster (though I plan for my D'Uccle, Beau, to live there) I hope Caroline's hock gets better. Last hock injury we had was Zane and most of you know how that turned out. I can't care for another crippled bird.
Here are Caroline and Miranda:
I called DH, who took a length of pvc pipe and shooed Miranda out, and Caroline stood up and limped toward us. Upon palpating the leg, we realized that her left hock joint was very tender. Could be that Isaac was too rough mating her or caught her in a weird position and hyperextended that joint. Caroline had set herself to spend the night underneath the coop and Miranda fully intended to stay alongside her sister. I did notice earlier that Caroline was limping a bit and that Miranda was hanging very close to her all day.
I've seen second-in-command hens preside over the deaths of the head hen on more than one occasion. It's always very touching to see how they do care for one another and I'm very glad that I have been able to witness their fondness or duty toward each other, though it's usually a very sad occasion. I'm not sure what actually happened to Caroline, but she and Miranda are spending the night in the broody pen where no rooster will bother either of them. Seems that it may be time for those two to go into the Old Hens' Coop since they are over four years old now. In that coop, they won't be bothered by a big, heavy, amorous rooster (though I plan for my D'Uccle, Beau, to live there) I hope Caroline's hock gets better. Last hock injury we had was Zane and most of you know how that turned out. I can't care for another crippled bird.
Here are Caroline and Miranda: