So...big chicken drama here today.
I knew someone had been picking at the EE's (both of them) beards, but I never saw it happen. I assume it's been going on in the coop at night or early in the morning. Well, yesterday there was this business of them finding and eating a possible rotten egg that had apparently been hidden in the run. So, just in case it was a bad egg, I gave them yogurt. As you know, yogurt gets sprayed everywhere.
So, today, I catch the BO (Buffy) relentlessly picking at one of the EE's (Willow) beard. I hurry out there to find blood on the BO's beak. Not only that, I see all the neck feathers pulled out of the back of the BR's (Anita) neck. Yep, little dried bits of yogurt.
So, I pick up Anita, and slather some no pick stuff on the back of her neck. But, Willow is a bird that has not let me pick her up since they left the brooder. It doesn't matter how much I held her when she was little, or how many treats I offer her, or how slowly I move, she can out maneuver me.
Now the run is just not that big, but part of it is under the raised coop. So I'm down on my knees trying to catch her and it's just no go. I tried to lure her with BOSS, tuna and brussel sprout leaves. She still dodges me.
So now I'm really concerned. I hope maybe the treats distracted Buffy. But I'm about to run out there again and make sure she hasn't drawn blood again.
I know some advice will be keep trying to catch Willow, but I tried for 40 minutes. Arrgghh.
Anyway...anything I can do short of catching Willow? I really can't separate them for any time because the shed where I used to separate is torn apart and I can't bring one inside due to dogs.
Thanks for listening, anyway.
I knew someone had been picking at the EE's (both of them) beards, but I never saw it happen. I assume it's been going on in the coop at night or early in the morning. Well, yesterday there was this business of them finding and eating a possible rotten egg that had apparently been hidden in the run. So, just in case it was a bad egg, I gave them yogurt. As you know, yogurt gets sprayed everywhere.
So, today, I catch the BO (Buffy) relentlessly picking at one of the EE's (Willow) beard. I hurry out there to find blood on the BO's beak. Not only that, I see all the neck feathers pulled out of the back of the BR's (Anita) neck. Yep, little dried bits of yogurt.
So, I pick up Anita, and slather some no pick stuff on the back of her neck. But, Willow is a bird that has not let me pick her up since they left the brooder. It doesn't matter how much I held her when she was little, or how many treats I offer her, or how slowly I move, she can out maneuver me.
Now the run is just not that big, but part of it is under the raised coop. So I'm down on my knees trying to catch her and it's just no go. I tried to lure her with BOSS, tuna and brussel sprout leaves. She still dodges me.
So now I'm really concerned. I hope maybe the treats distracted Buffy. But I'm about to run out there again and make sure she hasn't drawn blood again.
I know some advice will be keep trying to catch Willow, but I tried for 40 minutes. Arrgghh.
Anyway...anything I can do short of catching Willow? I really can't separate them for any time because the shed where I used to separate is torn apart and I can't bring one inside due to dogs.
Thanks for listening, anyway.
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