Bloody Hen, Howling Wolves and Peanut Butter Rice

As I was closing up the coop at around quarter to 8 which is a bit late to do it, I heard a pack of wolves howling pretty close.  My dogs were outside.  I let come out with me whenever I head out to the coop.  So the dogs were barking and barking.  And the howling disappeared.  Proof that the dogs do scare off wolves.  They are on invisible fence collar system so they cannot go beyond their designated boundaries which make them safe in case they actually ran and chase off the wolves.

The main reason for this blog is actually to discuss why I was late closing up the chicken coop.  I had one hen separated in the smaller coop for a while now and I must have forgotten to lock it up after I was feeding her late this afternoon.  While I was inside the house, the dogs were barking so loud and had gone psychotic so I decided to let them out and I went check the chickens.  Usually when they go on this unusual barking mode, something weird is going on outside.  And to my disappointment, the hen that was in the separate coop must have gone out her separate cage.  And I saw our biggest rooster mounted on top of her doing nothing, just standing on top of her.  She’s so badly bleeding and the wounds that were already healing had been ripped open again and gotten worst.  Her bone on the back is slightly showing up.  I hope she will survive.  I couldn't take a picture of her because my hands were full of blood and poo.  

I bet it was multiple roosters who ripped her back and sides open.  These roosters are just like gang raping weaker hens in general.  I was tempted to put her back in the separate smaller coop but I’m afraid her bloody back and wings will just attract predators. This is one of my nightmares.  I have no choice but to bring back that poor hen inside the house and I had to play doctor again.  I put hydrogen peroxide and saline solution on the wounds.  So I'm back to stinky bathroom again.

He's the one who ripped the back of the injured bloody hen today.  I will be selling or giving him away free.  Too bad he's so fancy, beautiful and big with feathers on its feet.  But what a bully!

Violent roosters have been a big problem for me and the hens.  One day, we had to leave them locked up inside the coop because it was extremely cold and we won't be home in time to close the chicken house. When we came back that night, one dead rooster on the floor.  Definitely died from fighting with other roosters. I know I've been warned by a lot of people but I never really expected that they will kill each other or even roughly mount a hen.  You learn from your own mistake indeed.

He died because other roosters attacked him. He was one of the gentle ones.

Unfortunately the slaughterhouse won’t start their first kill until end of May now.  So I better sell these roosters or give away free if I want my hens to survive.  There are only about 5 or 6 really nasty roosters out of the 15 I have.

Back to the howling wolves, the dogs were agitated again later in the evening and wanted to go outside so I let them with their invisible fence collar activated of course.  They love to bark whenever there are strange animals or strangers around.  They can never thrive in the city and will be best suited in the country.

I know my title is a bit misleading.  No, the bloody chicken wasn’t due to the wolves but rather my fault for not remembering to close her small coop where she recuperates from her previous injuries from the rooster attacks.

On a brighter side, I gave the chickens left-over rice with peanut butter. 

I let the dogs lick my hand covered with peanut butter.

They love it.

They eat like vultures. The hens feathers are in rough shape due to rooster's brutal way of breeding.

I hand-fed these shy hens who are at the lowest of the pecking order.