Our Rhode Island Red hen Mrs. Tweedy had a rough start in life. First, she attacked her only friend (Pot Pie). Then she suffered from the runs for a few days until we put her on chicken parasite medication. Once she started to get better, she instead developed pretty awful constipation for about three weeks. You haven't lived until you've watched a three ounce baby bird go red in the face trying to poo. Terrible. I force fed her molasses to give her some relief, which seemed to work. What have I become?
We think all those issues made Mrs. Tweedy who she is today- highly dependent on Pot Pie for moral support, very pushy when it comes to food, and kind of skinny. She still has not caught up growth-wise; she's bigger than the Rockettes (who are a week younger than her) but distinctly smaller than Pot Pie. Pot Pie should be noticeably smaller than Mrs. Tweedy- their breed's average adult weights are 6lbs for Pot Pie, 8lbs for Mrs. Tweedy.
Mrs. Tweedy is an aggressive, active hen. She loves treats (especially cream cheese) and will hop up onto my arm or leg to get closer to the source. Once she gets a large tidbit she usually goes running through the pen, shrieking. This seems to be a form of gloating. It is really funny.
Her feathers are becoming a really lovely deep russet brown and her tail is finally growing in. I hope that someday she'll overcome her early nutritional issues, but I guess if she ends up a little runty I will just accept her for who she is.
My friend's dog Ricka likes Mrs. Tweedy, and Mrs. Tweedy likes Ricka. Awwww...
Next up: Biggie Rockette
2 comments:
I think it's important to mention the expected egg-laying of the bird in the profiles.
You posted this for Beldar, but not Pot Pie or Mrs. Tweedy.
Isn't this the reason you got the birds, other than female companionship?
That is a good point. Perhaps I'll post an addendum later today for Pot Pie and Mrs. Tweedy.
Post a Comment