Potato is, all should I put it, lacking in the "chicken social skills" department. She came with a shipment of 21 "Suprise Special" pullets from Ideal. For her first several weeks on earth I only knew her as the chick that kept to herself. But, when it came time for her and her little flock to go out to the big pen outside, the problems began. First, when had been outside for not even 3 hours, one of the other chicks pecked her till she looked like she had been scalped!
That required her to stay in isolation for several weeks till she was healed enough for me to introduce her to the 5 chicks I had kept in the brooder and that turned out to be the only survivors after a skunk took the rest. She did fine when she was confined with them in the small cage, but once they went outside the cockerel, Reggie, started flogging her and she just stood there with a "What do I do next!?" look on her face. She didn't act submissive nor did she fight back, she just stood there and took it. So that obviously wasn't going to work. Enter Amoeba.
Amoeba is a Bantam Silver Duckwing Phoenix (I hope I got that right) who I purchesed for $10 from a feedstore. The owner claims a local breeder comes and drops off birds every couple of weeks, I have no idea if thats the truth or not. She is WAAY smaller then Potato, but Potato respects her and loves her company. Amoeba will give her gentle little pecks when Potato does something "uncool" in chicken ettiquette (standing too close, not responding right, etc) and appears to be treating Potato (who is 6 weeks old, no clue how old Amoeba is) like she is *her* chick. They are both going to get their own pen and I may introduce Ratchet, my quirky Polish Roo, to them in the future.
That required her to stay in isolation for several weeks till she was healed enough for me to introduce her to the 5 chicks I had kept in the brooder and that turned out to be the only survivors after a skunk took the rest. She did fine when she was confined with them in the small cage, but once they went outside the cockerel, Reggie, started flogging her and she just stood there with a "What do I do next!?" look on her face. She didn't act submissive nor did she fight back, she just stood there and took it. So that obviously wasn't going to work. Enter Amoeba.
Amoeba is a Bantam Silver Duckwing Phoenix (I hope I got that right) who I purchesed for $10 from a feedstore. The owner claims a local breeder comes and drops off birds every couple of weeks, I have no idea if thats the truth or not. She is WAAY smaller then Potato, but Potato respects her and loves her company. Amoeba will give her gentle little pecks when Potato does something "uncool" in chicken ettiquette (standing too close, not responding right, etc) and appears to be treating Potato (who is 6 weeks old, no clue how old Amoeba is) like she is *her* chick. They are both going to get their own pen and I may introduce Ratchet, my quirky Polish Roo, to them in the future.
