I knew it was coming I could see it way in advance. She was getting older, going back to the coop earlier than she used to. I honestly thought she was going to pass some time late last year but she continued to function just fine all considered.
Early this evening I went out to see if she had passed or if she was still hanging on in which case I was going to lay her in side the coop. And sure enough she had passed away.
I know this happens, never really easy when it does.
My question concerned a behavior I saw from the rooster which kind of left me scratching my head. I have a little security cameras that record all around the run and inside the coop. I installed them long ago mainly just to make sure I could evaluate how safe my fencing and everything was making the run for my chickens.
So I was watching the video trying to figure out exactly when she passed. Looks to be about 6:20 p.m.
Anyway that's how it's going through the video, I saw some behavior from my rooster that I don't know I thought was kind of odd and I thought I'd ask you all about it. So even though she was basically on the ground just kind of clinging on to Life, at least what was left, the rooster who grew up with her in fact they were egg mates repeatedly try to mate with her, or at least that's what it looked like you know where they mount them and pin them by the neck. He did this three or four times.
So, I thought maybe some of you might have an idea why he would do this when clearly she was just hanging on to life. Was it just that he was trying to get her to get up and move around or?
He is always protected her probably because they grew up together as chicks. He was supposed to be a hen but he turned out to be a rooster.
By the way unrelated to this behavior is I noticed when I went out to find her body that my rooster had lost his spur - not near her body or anything like that. It looks like maybe he was running around and maybe caught it on something in the run? I tried to find the point where it happened but I haven't been able to do it yet. It looks like he lost the entire spur there's some sort of concavity inside which I assume is where the spur mounts to maybe a stub or something on the leg? It was just a little bit of blood. I did see him on the video afterward and in fact I'm going to watch him as he goes up the ramp into the coop since they're already in the coop now and see if I noticed any issues with gait or anything. I found myself wondering if maybe they shed Spurs? Cuz he was going along like nothing had happened. But I did notice in the video where I could see that one leg no longer had the spur but I think I saw some sort of nub.
Oh geez, sorry for this long post. Just a couple of things happening at once. At least I got to enjoy her for almost 6 years. And as I said I am amazed she hung on this long because I was concerned about her as she was slowing down toward the end of last year.
Yeah if anyone could explain the mating behavior I saw from the rooster, that would be great. Also too if anyone could answer that question if they ever shed Spurs? He's my first rooster so I don't know. He's like Lucy was he's almost 6 years old. He's doing great he's healthy as the proverbial horse.
Anyway the moderator should feel free to put this wherever they think it needs to go I wasn't sure what category to pick.
Early this evening I went out to see if she had passed or if she was still hanging on in which case I was going to lay her in side the coop. And sure enough she had passed away.
I know this happens, never really easy when it does.
My question concerned a behavior I saw from the rooster which kind of left me scratching my head. I have a little security cameras that record all around the run and inside the coop. I installed them long ago mainly just to make sure I could evaluate how safe my fencing and everything was making the run for my chickens.
So I was watching the video trying to figure out exactly when she passed. Looks to be about 6:20 p.m.
Anyway that's how it's going through the video, I saw some behavior from my rooster that I don't know I thought was kind of odd and I thought I'd ask you all about it. So even though she was basically on the ground just kind of clinging on to Life, at least what was left, the rooster who grew up with her in fact they were egg mates repeatedly try to mate with her, or at least that's what it looked like you know where they mount them and pin them by the neck. He did this three or four times.
So, I thought maybe some of you might have an idea why he would do this when clearly she was just hanging on to life. Was it just that he was trying to get her to get up and move around or?
He is always protected her probably because they grew up together as chicks. He was supposed to be a hen but he turned out to be a rooster.
By the way unrelated to this behavior is I noticed when I went out to find her body that my rooster had lost his spur - not near her body or anything like that. It looks like maybe he was running around and maybe caught it on something in the run? I tried to find the point where it happened but I haven't been able to do it yet. It looks like he lost the entire spur there's some sort of concavity inside which I assume is where the spur mounts to maybe a stub or something on the leg? It was just a little bit of blood. I did see him on the video afterward and in fact I'm going to watch him as he goes up the ramp into the coop since they're already in the coop now and see if I noticed any issues with gait or anything. I found myself wondering if maybe they shed Spurs? Cuz he was going along like nothing had happened. But I did notice in the video where I could see that one leg no longer had the spur but I think I saw some sort of nub.
Oh geez, sorry for this long post. Just a couple of things happening at once. At least I got to enjoy her for almost 6 years. And as I said I am amazed she hung on this long because I was concerned about her as she was slowing down toward the end of last year.
Yeah if anyone could explain the mating behavior I saw from the rooster, that would be great. Also too if anyone could answer that question if they ever shed Spurs? He's my first rooster so I don't know. He's like Lucy was he's almost 6 years old. He's doing great he's healthy as the proverbial horse.
Anyway the moderator should feel free to put this wherever they think it needs to go I wasn't sure what category to pick.
