Betty the Bully

Whoa....has there been drama and trauma here.

I decided last week that it was time to find Betty an adoptive home because she had been an only chicken for almost a year and chickens like to live in a flock.

So I found a home for her. And Weds nite, after dark, we took her off her perch and brought her to her new home. We put her on the new perch next to the three other chickens in the flock. They warbled a bit and we left them there.

We talked to her new human mom, Summer, and were feeling good because she had three chickens and one was always left out, so maybe Betty and Poppy could become best friends.

That was NOT what happened. The next morning at 7:30 am , I got a call from Summer and it was not good news. In the middle of the nite there was some noise coming from the Hen House. So she took Betty out and put her in a cage. In morning, she left her hens in the Hen House and let Betty out of the cage to explore the yard. Betty made a mad dash towards the caged up hens and attacked the highest ranking hen! She chewed up her comb! That put the other hen in a tizzy and she started attacking her own hen mates! Lots of drama! And, apparently, lots of blood.

So, by 8 am Betty was back home! And boy was she mad.....and tired. She walked around the yard, doing what I can only describe as chicken swearing, for a good hour.