Wilma, A Freewrite
This is Wilma. Wilma is my oldest hen, the only one left from my initial flock. Chickens are supposed to stop laying eggs when they get as old as she is, nearly ten, but she still tries. This has created a health problem for her.
You see, if old chickens try to lay eggs, it results in a protein deficiency (as I understand it - my daughter did the research). The first sign of a problem was that she suddenly could not walk or stand very well - she'd run in uncontrolled circles around and around, looking very much like a drunk trying to go for a run. She would careen around in ever decreasing circles, often falling on her face. Now and then she'd manage to arrive at her apparent goal: the water, the food, or the treat I had just provided for them all. It was hard to watch and I was afraid she would starve to death because she could not get to the food.
The remedy for this ailment is increased protein in the diet, so now I isolate Wilma and give her nice portions of egg yolks, sunflower seeds, meal worms and pine nuts all to herself. I wait until she settles somewhere so that I can put it right at her beak, otherwise she just flails around the run and can't really get to it. The good news is that she showed improvement within a few days, and can now at least stand still.
So now I have to schlepp out there every day to make sure Wilma gets some extra protein from me.
end of freewrite
Here's a picture of my ladies having a nice treat. Since I can't see what the treat was in this pix, I think it must have been sunflower seeds. Wilma is at the bottom right. She's so beautiful, a Silver Laced Wyandotte.
But here's a shot taken a short time before the last one, in which we can see Wilma crashing the party.
Please join us!
Great peeps!
All images are my own unless otherwise stated.
The adorable page break of the barn is by @thekittygirl.
Poor Wilma! I've never run into that problem before. I've had some old hens but they don't bother trying to lay. I have always wanted a silver laced Wyandotte. I've had the golden ones and they are also beautiful, but the silver are amazing. I'm glad you found a way to feed the poor old girl.
There's a golden laced in the top left of the group photo, Barbara. I actually saved her from a fox. A mere second later and he would have made off with her but as it was he chose something smaller to make his dash away from me with. She would not leave the run for a month after that, and I won't let them free range anymore unless I am out there with them.
I never knew that about chickens. You know that Wilma is special and she must think so too with all of those goodies she gets to eat. I must say that Wilma looks beautiful in the first photo. : )
Resident cat here, hoping that a fox isn't leering at your group of pretty ladies. https://steemit.com/freewrite/@mariannewest/day-775-5-minute-freewrite-wednesday-prompt-leering
Win a Membership in Steem Basic Income - Tell us About a Favorite Freewrite.
good one
I think in my story Mark cooked a chicken for Mary bought from your farm. Excellent story @owasco.
We had a Barred Rock who was the pet and she lived until 9.5 years old. She never had a protein issue, as we always fed extra animal protein every day to the entire flock.
Your Wilma has very lovely coloring, love the lacing!
What did you use for extra animal protein? I've been putting dried meal worms in with the feed.
My husband is an avid deepsea fisherman and loves catching pollock. We don't like pollock, but the hens do! So he gets to catch all the pollock he can, and we grind it raw, package it in daily allotments (1/4 oz/bird/day) which for our flock of 18 is 4 1/2 oz/day. We feed it every day, in the morning.
He's actually going out tomorrow to start on our fish for the coming year.
Again, I have no idea how you do all you do. Thank you! I'll buy some nice fish for them and do the same.
The little red-head with the punk haircut is adorable.
She's pretty funny too. Always seems angry.
I’m so glad you found a remedy for Wilma. May she live a long healthy life!
Thank you!
Thanks for share your thoughts
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Congratulations - your Wilma post has been nominated for the Friday Favorites!
And I'm still scrambling /pecking through URLs and formatting codes
Sweet. BTW my notifications feature was wonky for a few days so I am just getting to all the comments you left me a couple days ago. It's so hard to keep up around these parts! xo
So now you "have to schlepp out there every day to make sure Wilma gets some extra protein" - lucky Wilma! Anyone else might have set her out on the dinner table for your own extra protein. I didn't say that!!
She is way too old to be tasty. Maybe soup. No, my girls are beloved pets. I could never eat them. I would not make a good livestock farmer.
Nor would I!
I can't even kill spiders, crickets, and grasshoppers. I take pity on the occasional ladybug in the house. If hundreds get in (this happens in the fall, all too often) my sympathy runs out. Otherwise, "live and let live" is my m.o.
Hello!!!! I am so happy you've made a comment! I am still reeling from a post I just put up, trembling to be more precise. Egads it was a killer! Would you please read this when you get a chance? I worked a good twelve hours on it and no human has read it yet. I'm anxious about it. xo
https://steempeak.com/31sentencecontest/@owasco/the-old-lady-s-memory
check out goldenoakfarms comment on what she feeds her chickens! Of course she out does everyone. I have no clue where she finds the time and energy.