A Senile Rooster

Poor Rupert is unsteady on his legs these days. Not only that, but he is acting nuts. He sometimes has trouble standing and other times he squawks loudly and runs crazily for some distance. At other times, he hides under one of the porches or stuffs his body into a yew bush.

At first, I thought the strong winds were catching him in the tail and propelling him. That theory proved incorrect when he still ran when it was calm. (His head has not been cut off.)

He sometimes loses it entirely, falls down on his tail, flaps his huge wings and squawks loudly. The most unfortunate part of rooster's dementia is that he no longer stays with the girls and protects them.

                                              A Ga-Ga Hen
Buffy, having been pecked on her head one time too many by the rooster and his accomplice, the Rhode Island Red hen, has taken to walking backwards. Her latest nutso behavior is to run squawking around the yard. A few of days ago, the routine sounds of  distress changed tenor. I found Buffy in the jaws of one of the neighbor dogs, who was unable to resist running prey. Enough feathers were pulled out to fill a small pillow.

She stayed in the nest box for days. Yesterday morning, I found Rupert  stuffed in the box with her, absently pecking her on the head. He looked like he was trying to remember the rest of his routine. I pulled him out.

Yes, I know I should put him out of his misery or leave him out for a coyote meal. With all his eccentricities, he does manage to wander back to the coop at dusk. He no longer can get on the roost, making him a restless,  roostless rooster. He beds down in the straw or in one of the nest boxes.

Rupert is only three or four years old, but in chicken years, it's time to cull fowl.

Another Fun Mother-Daughter Experience

Lissa works as a dental assistant so is unfazed by anything medical. In addition, she has always been good with critters. Beau loves her, because she took him in when he was a puppy abandoned along a country road. He thinks he's still that puppy when he's around her.

Lis is quite handy with all sorts of repairs. Yesterday, she replaced a part in my washing machine so I didn't have to buy a new washer.  Beau was a little worried when he saw her lying on the laundry room floor. She was able to complete the job while being licked in the face.

The rooster had been having trouble walking and roosting because his spurs had grown out to where they hit his opposite foot. So after dark last night, I helped  Lis carry out an operation in the chicken coop. Armed with a pliers and a hot potato in an oven mitt, Lis picked up Rupert and held him upside down. I held the flashlight while she applied the baked potato to each of his spurs in turn. Lissa assured me the spur has no feeling and is like a fingernail. Then she twisted off the spurs with the pliers. I put cornstarch on the little remaining stubs of the spurs, but there was scant bleeding to stanch.

Here is the outpatient this morning. This is one of the spurs.

When I got her bill for those few minutes of  medical service, I was astounded.

                         Patient: Rupert the Rooster
                         Date of Procedure: March 4, 2016

                         Anesthesia: $500.25 (25 cents for the potato)
                         Surgery: $1,000.
                         Home Visit: $1/mile, $75

                         Total: $1,575.25

                         Please remit at once.

She performed this procedure on him a couple of years ago. It wasn't nearly this much then, in fact it was free. 

She settled for homemade brownies.