My buff orpington pullet was attacked by a hawk several weeks ago. She was put in a cage in the garage and fed with a dropper for the first week or so, then we tapped the food/water dish with a pencil so she could find it via sound. I used small plant saucers/ceramic casserole dishes that won't tip over. She now swings her beak back and forth like a blind person's cane until she finds what she's looking for. It's kind of funny to watch her 'jump' down from her 2x4 roost (flat on the floor, so 1 1/2" up) since she's cautious. Also, we talk to her as we move about so as not to startle her but she really stresses if we pick her up and it's even more stressful if we try to direct her beak into food/water.
I can't see keeping her in the garage forever--she needs the stimulation and company of the flock. I plan to create a space the same size as her cage on the floor of the big coop. That way she will still follow her current method of finding roost/dishes, which I always place at the same location. Then, every so often, I would move one wall of her enclosure a bit farther away until she has the entire coop (8'x12') to roam around.
My problem is that she will perch on the edge of her dishes and poop in them or even lay down in the water. Seems like we're constantly changing her water to keep it clean. Any suggestions of how to change this habit? I'm thinking to use the chick waterer with the mason jar, since she most likely won't fly up to perch on the jar and, if that works, eventually change to the gallon jug waterer. She would have to learn to bump her head into the jug part, but I think that's doable. Do you think she would ever figure out the horizontal nipples? That would be ideal. She poops in the food dish, too.
I don't really want anything with small holes since she randomly pecks and still has to get lucky with her aim. Do chickens smell where the food and water is? I can put the dishes up on a brick so maybe she won't climb onto the rim? I would feed her smelly sardines if that would help her learn. I do put mealworms, boss, tomatoes, grapes, etc into her food dish fairly often so she isn't 100% on all-flock. I was wetting the feed so she'd get water but it's so hot I'm afraid it would get moldy.
She's only 8 weeks old and I got her for eggs and possibly to go broody. Do you think this is feasible? I had posted under 'when to cull' in the injuries forum. I'm glad she's still alive, it was a pretty bad injury, but now I want her to get on with her life as a chicken. We've had plenty of people around since the injury so she's had sounds and people petting her, but that's winding down now and I need to get serious on her rehab. Any suggestions would be so very welcome. Thanks!
I can't see keeping her in the garage forever--she needs the stimulation and company of the flock. I plan to create a space the same size as her cage on the floor of the big coop. That way she will still follow her current method of finding roost/dishes, which I always place at the same location. Then, every so often, I would move one wall of her enclosure a bit farther away until she has the entire coop (8'x12') to roam around.
My problem is that she will perch on the edge of her dishes and poop in them or even lay down in the water. Seems like we're constantly changing her water to keep it clean. Any suggestions of how to change this habit? I'm thinking to use the chick waterer with the mason jar, since she most likely won't fly up to perch on the jar and, if that works, eventually change to the gallon jug waterer. She would have to learn to bump her head into the jug part, but I think that's doable. Do you think she would ever figure out the horizontal nipples? That would be ideal. She poops in the food dish, too.
I don't really want anything with small holes since she randomly pecks and still has to get lucky with her aim. Do chickens smell where the food and water is? I can put the dishes up on a brick so maybe she won't climb onto the rim? I would feed her smelly sardines if that would help her learn. I do put mealworms, boss, tomatoes, grapes, etc into her food dish fairly often so she isn't 100% on all-flock. I was wetting the feed so she'd get water but it's so hot I'm afraid it would get moldy.
She's only 8 weeks old and I got her for eggs and possibly to go broody. Do you think this is feasible? I had posted under 'when to cull' in the injuries forum. I'm glad she's still alive, it was a pretty bad injury, but now I want her to get on with her life as a chicken. We've had plenty of people around since the injury so she's had sounds and people petting her, but that's winding down now and I need to get serious on her rehab. Any suggestions would be so very welcome. Thanks!
