It is inevitable that, come wintertime, a chicken or two opt to come into our house. Perhaps opt is not the right word. They are brought into the house only if there is an issue that threatens an individual or the entire flock.
The first few winters we had chickens, I would fret about their unheated digs and sigh relief when the rooster would crow, sometimes as early at 4:30 am. I didn't mind. They were still alive.
Last winter, when temps were predicted to go below 10 degrees F, I couldn't stand the thought of opening the coop in the morning to find a flock of frozen chickens stuck to the walls of their nest boxes. We piled straw onto the solarium floor 6" thick and brought them in. Ofcourse, we removed all furniture and plants, except the tall bamboo and a gigantic fern. Not toxic, the plants could offer something for the chickens to hide under.
Come spring, they were rehoused into their proper coop. Come summer, I had the coop retrofitted with a heat pump.
Most recently, Chickina presented me with an eye, slammed shut. She still had interest in food and kept up with the flock, but I have learned that the wait and see attitude that I use with myself, as well as my dogs, cats and husband, doesn't work with birds. It usually goes from bad to worse very quickly.
Fortunately we have a Veterinarian close by who will see an individual chicken. Chickina was sent home with a course of eye drops and an oral antibiotic, to be administered twice a day for 11 days. She needs to be kept separate from the flock until she gets better, so she is in the house.
She's in an extra large dog crate on a table out of the sun, full of fluffy straw and her favorite foods. She's good about the medicine and I think enjoys the extra attention. Stay tuned!
1 comment:
where's the pic of Chickina?? set up a chicken-cam?
Bob and Martha
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