Zane is my crippled BR rooster, can't walk, only thumps along by hopping on this good leg and using his wings as crutches. He lives in his own specially made cage inside the breeders' coop. Shadow is my only bantam, and a tiny one at that, maybe a pound? Anyway, she is smaller than other bantam Cochins I've seen. She is in the BR coop and has been molting so she's thin from that, is cold since no one will snuggle with her, and has a hard time getting food without being hassled.
I had the thought that maybe she and Zane could room together in his cage till her molt is over or winter is over, whichever came first. She trusted Zane with her chicks this year as witnessed by the pics below. He played Uncle Zane and watched over them while they freeranged. When the alarms sounded from the roosters, she'd run back to Zane with her babies. My friend Cetawin suggested this, not knowing I was already considering it, so that made my decision up to try it today.
Awhile ago, I put her in Zane's cage. He was at the back, under the red 60 watt reptile bulb I keep on him in winter. The food bowl and waterer are at the front of the cage, just inside the door, and the floor of his cage, which is the ceiling of the broody pen below, is just below my chest level. She began chowing down on his food. He started talking nervously then, in unique Zane fashion, thumped himself up to me, bowed his head into the straw and leaned against me. Shadow was very jittery around his jerky movements, but kept eating. I put my face against Zane's comb and asked him if he was scared of that one-pound chicken, LOL. He stayed there with this head buried for maybe 15 minutes while I talked to him and petted him and Shadow ate. After awhile, I put him at the back of the cage and let her out.
Not sure if I should try it again, but he was scared of her and she was nervous around him. If they could room together, they could snuggle under the heat lamp at night, but may not work out. I think she was also nervous since when the Blue Orps stand on their roost, their heads are at Zane's cage floor height, so they were looking in at her, wondering why that little lavender pipsqueak was eating Zane's chow.
I had the thought that maybe she and Zane could room together in his cage till her molt is over or winter is over, whichever came first. She trusted Zane with her chicks this year as witnessed by the pics below. He played Uncle Zane and watched over them while they freeranged. When the alarms sounded from the roosters, she'd run back to Zane with her babies. My friend Cetawin suggested this, not knowing I was already considering it, so that made my decision up to try it today.
Awhile ago, I put her in Zane's cage. He was at the back, under the red 60 watt reptile bulb I keep on him in winter. The food bowl and waterer are at the front of the cage, just inside the door, and the floor of his cage, which is the ceiling of the broody pen below, is just below my chest level. She began chowing down on his food. He started talking nervously then, in unique Zane fashion, thumped himself up to me, bowed his head into the straw and leaned against me. Shadow was very jittery around his jerky movements, but kept eating. I put my face against Zane's comb and asked him if he was scared of that one-pound chicken, LOL. He stayed there with this head buried for maybe 15 minutes while I talked to him and petted him and Shadow ate. After awhile, I put him at the back of the cage and let her out.
Not sure if I should try it again, but he was scared of her and she was nervous around him. If they could room together, they could snuggle under the heat lamp at night, but may not work out. I think she was also nervous since when the Blue Orps stand on their roost, their heads are at Zane's cage floor height, so they were looking in at her, wondering why that little lavender pipsqueak was eating Zane's chow.
