Last week, and I quote myself, I said “…but Ginger wasn’t the problem…”. I hate eating my words. I should have trusted my initial instincts.
Frodo just can't seem to get a break
During our last Fowl Friday post a couple of our readers suggested that Frodo would make a good subject for a children’s book. Unfortunately, things have taken a dramatic turn in the wrong direction, and a story with the potential for a happy ending, has now turned into a tale akin to one written by the Brothers Grimm.
On Saturday Frodo was back out in the portable pen again with our three Buff Orpington hens, Ginger, Babs, and Sweet Pea.
We've been slowly introducing Frodo to our orchard hens
He’d already spent time alone with Ginger, which had gone very well. Everything seemed to be going along fine, and all the birds were scratching around rummaging for grain and bugs. I sat with them for a while. It was a warm afternoon, and as everyone seemed relaxed, I went back into the house for a short while to make some bread dough.
Last week I mentioned that when Ginger and Frodo first met, a few feathers flew, briefly, and then everyone seemed fine. Ginger, even as head hen, didn’t seem to mind having Frodo around, but we were continuing to work with all the hens to ensure that Frodo was accepted by everyone before even considering trying to house them together permanently.
Ginger rules the roost in the orchard
It turns out that Ginger wasn’t as willing to give up her role of ruler of the roost as she first led us to believe.
With the bread dough proofing on the kitchen counter, I went back out to check on the chickens. All seemed quiet enough. On the return walk from the house toward the orchard, as the portable pen came back into view, I could see that Frodo was laying down in the corner. I thought at first that he was just relaxing in the shade with the girls. Then, as I got closer, I could see that Ginger was standing on top of Frodo. Closer still, and Ginger looked like a vulture perched on a carcass. I realized she was violently pecking at Frodo’s back. Frodo was just laying there, dead-still. I couldn’t see where his head was…he wasn’t moving at all as she struck at him. I was sure I was too late.
This is how Frodo's back looked when I left him in the pen earlier that afternoon, his saddle feathers finally growing out
I ran the last bit through the gardens, and as I got to the pen Frodo raised his head up from the corner. That was when I realized I was holding my breath…as I breathed a brief sigh of relief. He was still alive, but he was silent, and didn’t make a sound as Ginger struck him again. He buried his head back underneath the edge of the pen. I could see he’d been desperately trying to tunnel out of the corner. I was mortified, angry, disappointed, disgusted, and felt an overwhelming sense of guilt for leaving him alone with the girls. He’d already been through so much, and now this?
Ginger was ripping Frodo's tail and saddle feathers out
Livid, I lunged toward Ginger, smacking the side of the pen, to scare her off, but it’s not easy getting through to a chicken that is dazed and enamoured by the sight of blood. I grabbed the corner of the pen, lifting it off the ground, shoved Ginger away from Frodo, and quickly coaxed him out. I had no idea how badly he was hurt, but I was appalled at how much blood there was. I could see his beautiful iridescent feathers strewn across the garden. I ran after him, to catch him, and realized his tail was completely missing. There was nothing left but a bloody stump, and his back was raw and bleeding.
His tail feathers had a beautiful green sheen
Things were rough with Siegfried in the coop, but this was far beyond anything that happened with him. This was brutal. The vicious reality of life as a chicken that doesn’t fit in with the flock. I know that there are times when chickens can be ruthless toward each other, sometimes with little warning, even when everything seems to be going fine, they can simply snap. Ginger had snapped. I’m not a poultry psychologist, or an expert in poultry behavior, but I do know this can be a very real part of being chicken. I wondered what would have happened if I hadn’t walked out to check on Frodo when I did. Would Ginger have kept going until she killed him? That we’ll never know, I just had to be content that I’d found him when I did.
Ginger was clearly agitated after the attack
Frodo was rushed into the house, and we quickly examined him to assess the extent of his injuries. His vent was intact, thankfully, but there was a lot of blood all across his back. We cleaned the area of enough blood to determine that his skin, although brutalized, bleeding, raw and tender looking, wasn’t torn. We watched for a few minutes to get an idea of his rate of blood loss. His saddle feathers were still growing in, and new feathers have enriched blood supplies, and when broken, can cause excessive blood loss, so we wanted to be sure he wasn’t going to exsanguinate as a result of his injuries. There were numerous broken feathers with the quills still embedded in his skin, some of which were slowly oozing blood. Of his saddle feathers that took weeks to grow in, the longest ones were gone. His beautiful tail that had just started to fill out, this is all that’s left…
This is what was left of Frodo's tail
Frodo was breathing very hard, trembling, and clearly stressed. Content he wasn’t bleeding too much, we set him in a large box, with a heat lamp at one end of the box, and a towel, fresh food and water, and left him in a darkened quiet room for a while to give him a chance to calm down. Birds can be very stoic, especially chickens, but to aggressively treat him while he was so stressed, could be enough to tip him over the edge. We checked in on him periodically, just to ensure that any active bleeding had stopped, and left him alone until the next morning.
I’ll say this for chickens, they’re tough. The next morning, a rather antsy and agitated Frodo greeted me. The bleeding had stopped, and he was back to eating and drinking, which was an excellent sign. I promised him we were done with trying to introduce him to any other chickens, and pulled him out to assess the damage. Fortunately for Frodo, it seems no damage was done that time won’t heal. He was lucky this time.
A little tuft is all that's left, but Frodo is healing well
We know that chickens attack each other for a number of reasons. In this case, Frodo was new, he was different, and he was a rooster. Ginger is now a repeat offender. Once before she had attacked our old hen ‘Roo’ when she was egg-bound and bleeding from her vent. This was the first time I’d witnessed a chicken, personally, in that ‘red-haze daze’. That was the only time I’d seen that glint in Ginger’s eye, but Roo was bleeding, that was clearly the catalyst for her behavior that day. Why she attacked Frodo, beyond him being new, and not looking like any other chicken she’d seen before, only Ginger knows. Sadly, Frodo just doesn’t have it in him to fight back. Perhaps that will change as he grows older, and significantly larger, but at the moment he just doesn’t seem able to stand his ground, not even against a hen.
So now we have to decide what to do about Frodo. Despite being raised with our new flock this spring, since he was seven weeks old, his flock-mates just refused to give him a break. We’re clearly not going to try to introduce him to any new hens any time soon either. As a slow grower, it will be a while before he’s up to full size. We could try to re-home him, but I honestly would prefer not to, as the issue is that he can’t or won’t defend himself, and he’s just as likely to meet the same fate, or worse, somewhere else. Soup isn’t an option. I know, real farmers would soup him, but we can’t. Us ‘hobby-farmers’ have that latitude, and we have the space here to make room for him.
For now, our thought is to build a second ark, like the one we put up in the orchard this year. When you have more than a few chickens, it’s not a bad idea to have a spare pen to house an ill or injured bird in, or to house a broody hen if we wanted more chicks down the road. We’d need another ark sooner or later. We can alternate ranging him in the orchard, versus the hens. Maybe things will be different once he’s full grown, which won’t be for some months yet. In the meantime, Frodo will continue to be doted on by us, to ensure he remains a tame rooster, and as you can see below, he’s already making friends with some of our local woodland creatures.
Once he’s grown more, and can stand up for himself, we can try bringing a few docile, passive hens from the main flock to range with him, but we’re not going to push it. For now at least, Frodo will remain a bachelor. His wounds need to heal, his feathers need to regrow, again, and he needs to work on finding his inner rooster. We’ll let him dictate where we go from there…
Dear Clare, Very stupidly, I know, I found this tale of Frodo or, at least the most recent update, very distressing and I am so relieved that he is recovering away from the main flock and the dreaded Ginger. The action you have taken is, I believe, one of great kindness in that you have taken prompt steps to alleviate the suffering of, in this case, a defenceless bird. I see nothing of the ‘hobby’ farmer about this; rather this is the professional taking care of her flock. I do so very much all will continue to be well with Frodo and know that you will keep us all updated.
In the meantime, my good wishes for a peaceful and restful weekend.
Oh Edith, not stupid at all! I was horrified when I saw what Ginger had done to Frodo. He just didn’t deserve this. Hopefully now Frodo can grow up to be the magnificent rooster he’s destined to be. We’re just hoping this is last of his drama for a while! I’d like the next update on him to be much more positive!
Poor Frodo! Ginger only wanted the ring of power and who could blame her? I hope Frodo gets to be king of a nice flock someday.
Hehe, you’re probably right Lauren. It’s a shame Frodo didn’t put the ring on so he could disappear! That would’ve confused Ginger I’m sure! 😀
I’ve been waiting for your Fowl Friday post all morning and then I remembered you are on Cali time. Poor Frodo! I think you need to make him one of those chicken coops that I saw at Chelsea. The boy needs a cool pad to live after all these women picking on him!! Seriously though I’m glad you found him in time. That Ginger is a beatch! 🙂 Michaela
Those Chelsea coops were awesome! I’m going to have to dig back to that post for some inspiration. I agree, he really deserves a swank bachelor pad after all this. Ginger however deserves an 8-quart stock pot!
Awww, poor furry-footed Frodo! He’s got a bad lot in life. Glad to see he survived the attack and is still so friendly. : ) I find your post title quite amusing today, actually.
I wasn’t sure about the blog title today. I didn’t want to give it all away in the title. I used to like Ginger Snaps…one of my favorite cookies…has a whole new meaning for me now! 😉
Talk about being hen pecked! Thankgoodness that dear little Frodo is in your capable hands Clare as “hobby” farmers – it would be quite distressing to hear that someone else had made him into soup.
I really hoped that Ginger had accepted him as things looked so promising last weekend.
I hope you’ll find him some docile girls someday Clare.
Frodo has too many fans to be souped…I’m probably his biggest. He’s such a darned nice bird for a male. If he was aggressive, I might think differently. After his feathers grow back and we build him a new home, it would be nice to find a few pleasant girls for him. Maybe even a couple of Dark Brahma pullets? 😛
I had the same thought as Rosie. I was hoping there would be a happy ending to last week’s story. I actually gasped when I saw poor Frodo’s tail. I admire you for the care you’ve given him and not just “souping” him. I hope he’s able to end up with his own nice flock one day.
Awwww, poor Frodo. I know chickens like to have others with them. Is there any way to maybe build a little ark for him and Sam to live together in? Or does he no longer get along with Sam? I think, in this case, it’s a good idea to keep him around just in case something happens to Siegfried or if Siegfried happens to become really aggressive and you have to get rid of him, Frodo can take his place.
I’ve considered bringing Sam back out to live with Frodo. She’s settled back in the main coop so well though, and even moved up in the pecking order. My other concern is not having enough hens for him to focus his attention on too. I think we’d need more than just Sam, especially if he actually realizes he’s a rooster some day 😛 Your right about Siegfried too. If something happened to him, I’d kick myself for not keeping Frodo!
Clare, Frodo may be unlucky when it comes to hens but he sure is lucky in his adopted parents. Poor thing… Ginger really did snap at him. What goes on in their heads … being that violent. I wonder if she would have stopped! This experience will stay with him and perhaps he will become more forthright in standing his own ground. I’d like to think someday he will show Ginger who is boss… in a kindly way. Then she will fall for him and he will have nothing to do with her. Love the video!
As far as Ginger is concerned, Frodo is probably a bit of an ugly duckling at the moment. If she only knew that someday though he’ll be a hefty 12 pound handsome rooster! As least the deer like him 😛
Clare, I would have been in tears! You had me hanging on every word. 🙂 It has to be a tough job handling animals, and you handled that so well. Poor Frodo… but perhaps he’ll rule the roost one day.
It can be tough handling animals. Understanding the differences between species is tricky enough, but then understanding the differences in personalities among individuals is even more tricky. We try our best, and are just relieved Frodo survived his ordeal. I wonder how the next chapter in his saga will go?
Oh me, when I read the title “Ginger Snapped” I was afraid that things had gone bad for Frodo. It sounds like letting him find his inner rooster is a good course of action. And I’m with Carol – Frodo couldn’t ask for better ‘parents’. Now if he can just find some less aggressive hens!
I think if we try this again, we’ll try pullets who aren’t yet set in their ways, and not wait until he’s too mature. Although at this point I don’t pretend to know how that will go…chickens never cease to surprise us.
Poor Frodo! Maybe instead of one of those sweet little illustrated children’s books, you’re working on an animal novel on the order of Black Beauty — all those horrible events, trials, and tribulations, something going wrong just when you think the animal might get a break, but an eventual happy ending.
Oh Jean, I loved Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty as a young child. I’d not intended to live so much drama, especially with chickens, but I too am crossing my fingers for a happy ending! 🙂
aloha,
wow, this is a distressing situation and i’m sure you are just as concerned about these behavior patterns that we will not understand completely…i’m glad you were able to assess this situation quickly….my friend just recently had her hens killed by a wandering group of new dogs that the new neighbor completely forgot to keep leased…really a shocking thing to witness i’m sure !
How awful! I have always had a liking for Frodo, since he was a small chick, so I was horrified that he may have been killed. I was ready to wring Ginger’s neck! I am glad Frodo is doing OK. I hope his story will have a happy ending someday. There may yet be a book in here. The best stories always have conflict and problems before the hero ultimately prevails. But true life doesn’t always follow a plot line. I hope for the best for Frodo. He is lucky to have you!
Eeesh!
Frodo is lucky to have you. (Robb read this post, and asked if you were a medical professional, since most people wouldn’t bust out a word like “exsanguinate” with such ease.)
I love how you found the balance between not over-stressing Frodo and still managing to take gory/fascinating/informative photographs. I catch a lot of flack from my friends because I can’t stop myself from whipping out the camera when something freaky presents itself.
Oh Clare – another chapter in the story of Frodo which ends with him needing first aid. I’ve learnt so much about keeping chickens from you as had assumed that male dominance over hens was all part of the pecking order. Did not realize Frodo would have to assert himself and as of yet he does not seem to know how. He has such a calm persona that the deer feels safe with him 🙂
Laura
I don’t think I’ve ever said ‘AWW!’ so many times whilst reading a blog post. Both happy and sad ‘aww’s lol.
When you mentioned the haze of red bloodlust that Ginger had going on when she was pecking violently at Frodo, made me think of vampires. Instead of writing a childrens book, you could write a vampire satire! We sell those the most out of anything right now at B&N. “Ginger the Vampire Chicken”!!
Maybe Frodo will be happier being a bachelor. Like George Clooney. But with less sex. Or maybe he’s gay! Nah…he would have bitch-slapped Ginger.
Like everyone else, I’m so glad you’re keeping him instead of letting him buy the farm. I’m a wuss that way, I could never be a ‘real’ farmer lol.
Oops, and I forgot to tell you how much I liked your video. It was the music that got me, great choice!! 😀
Oh my goodness I could just cry. Poor guy!!! Poor nice gentle bird!! I like your plan of just having a few quiet pals for him in the far future — maybe when you hatch out a next batch of new pullets, he could become the cock of the walk with some new wee girlies, and get him started that way? As for Ginger – she’d be in my soup pot. No question. It’s her neck that would be snapped… but I know then babs would rise up and fill the void – trouble though with tolerating a real sporting flesh-eater like G is that she’ll get other birds going with it, well hopefully not. But boy is she ever on thin ice. She should be very glad to be outside a canning jar right now. Send my best wishes and real kisses to the gentle giant boy.
Ah, I’m so sorry to hear it. Wishing Frodo a speedy recovery.
Do all social animal species produce bullies? It is looking more and more like you sent Frodo to highschool or maybe he just lives in the rough part of town and and had a run-up with some gang members… I wish him a prompt recovery both physical and psicological.
I hope that peaceful looking deer was nowhere near your veggies…
Oh, I must say that I have been riveted by Frodo’s story and was dismayed to hear about his being “beat up” by Ginger. I am so glad you are keeping him and building a second ark where he can stay. I do hope he will be able to stand up for himself someday 🙂
Aw, Frodo. 🙁 I hate that this happened — but so glad you came along when you did! And I love your solution to the dilemma, Clare. He’s so lovely, and if you can spare him the chance to “find his inner rooster” (you crack me up!) then I’m thrilled he’s to be given that chance. Poor guy. I’d probably be a little scared if Ginger came at me, too. I am getting quite an education here, in what is required to raise chickens. My own chicken lust might be tapering off after seeing so much blood…
And now I might tape that phrase above my desk. In one situation in my life right now, I need to find my own inner rooster. 😉
So sorry to hear about the attack on Frodo. You know, I’ve heard that Buff Orpingtons are supposed to be so friendly and gentle. Well, we only have one BO, but she’s the most unfriendly of the flock. She hasn’t been picking on any of the other girls, but she’s just not very nice to me.
Frodo’s very lucky to have you as a caretaker. Best wishes to him (and you too!).
That happy ending might be coming, yet.