Pepper the Princess

[uhohmaeday]

We got a bunch of chickens from a guy that really had no time for them. They were kept in a small run with a dog house (no place to roost!). We got 7 total. 4 red colored hens, 2 white colored hens, and one special princess. A princess who we named Pepper. She stood out from all the others not only due to her mixture of red and white feathers, but due to her feet and walk. Her feet curl inwards and she somewhat hobbles around, but it's never stopped her. She'll jump up in the nest boxes and lay with the best of them despite the fact the other chickens (before coming to our house) picked at her back relentlessly. She's just starting to grow her feathers back now, but even without them... she's the prettiest princess there ever was.

 

[N F C]

Hi, interesting coloration on your Princess. It sounds like she has found a better home with you. Glad you're enjoying having her!

 

[uhohmaeday]

Thank you! She's definitely one of our favorites! She has trouble getting in and out of the coop, so we'll let her in and out whenever we can. She really can't walk around too much and spends a lot of time nesting. She gets broody which I think is good because it gives her something to do that doesn't involve standing on her poor feet. I really wish I could somehow make it easier for her to get around, but I just don't think it's possible. Last year we had an older hen, Twinkle Toes, with arthritis in her feet. She sadly didn't make it through the winter, but Pepper reminds us a lot of her. We were devastated when she passed.

 

[N F C]

It is tough when we lose one, they are unique and important to us.

Does Pepper get pecked on by the other birds? Earlier this year one of our Rhode Island Red's (Taylor) was injured and now limps on one leg, she uses a wing to help balance. The other girls gave her such a bad time, we had to build her a place of her own. It shares a common fence with the run and Taylor absolutely hates it when one of the others gets too close to "her" house. She likes to sit on her side of the fence and see what's going on but they better not poke their beaks into her business. She is a sweetheart to us and gives us a big light brown egg almost every day.

Thank you for sharing Pepper's story with us, she sounds like a sweetie.

 

[sourland]

Really different color pattern on Pepper - sounds as if they are lucky to have found a good home with you.

 

[uhohmaeday]

NorthFLChick, she was getting pecked on by the others before we got her when they were in a less than ideal housing situation. Now they have a large coop with plenty of roosting and plenty of run, so I think that contributes to her not getting pecked anymore. We haven't seen a single chicken peck her, and her back isn't raw anymore (as of yesterday we have feathers coming in!). One of our roosters also runs a pretty tight hen house, so to speak. He tries to keep everybody in line if they pick on the others. Mostly these days it's him telling the guineas they can't chase after the hens even though they *really* want that piece of cracked corn. He's very friendly with people though, so no complaining if he tries to get no one to mess with his hens (even the other hens!). So I think he takes good care of Pepper who is just loving having a nest box she can sit in at night (since with her feet she can't perch).