'Tilda, my lovely less-able-bodied chicken, has started crouching for me!
She has a bit of trouble getting off the perches: she waits until there are no other chickens around, then she leans forward and lets gravity take control, bouncing a little when she hits the Aubiose (I've piled it up to help break her falls). So, when I let them out in the morning, I always go and gently pick her up and place her on the ground.
In recent weeks, she's taken to shaking her body and fluffing herself up afterwards, as hens do after they have received attention from a Roo. A couple of days ago, when she was on the floor and I approached, she crouched! I stroked her, she did the usual post-coital rearranging of her feathers, and walked off quite happily. She now crouches every time I go near her.
Florence has started crouching again as well, so maybe she's coming back into lay after a short break.
Lily, who has been laying reasonably regularly for the last couple of weeks since she emerged, beautifully re-feathered, from her moult, has also started crouching again. But sometimes - especially when she has escaped and I am trying to catch her - she manages to crouch but still run whilst crouching. Quite an achievement!
She has a bit of trouble getting off the perches: she waits until there are no other chickens around, then she leans forward and lets gravity take control, bouncing a little when she hits the Aubiose (I've piled it up to help break her falls). So, when I let them out in the morning, I always go and gently pick her up and place her on the ground.
In recent weeks, she's taken to shaking her body and fluffing herself up afterwards, as hens do after they have received attention from a Roo. A couple of days ago, when she was on the floor and I approached, she crouched! I stroked her, she did the usual post-coital rearranging of her feathers, and walked off quite happily. She now crouches every time I go near her.
Florence has started crouching again as well, so maybe she's coming back into lay after a short break.
Lily, who has been laying reasonably regularly for the last couple of weeks since she emerged, beautifully re-feathered, from her moult, has also started crouching again. But sometimes - especially when she has escaped and I am trying to catch her - she manages to crouch but still run whilst crouching. Quite an achievement!
