Hello there! Early this evening, a little after 6 PM, I decided to let the chickens out of the house, including the three Old English Game bantam hens. Since rooster #3 was outside as usual, I left #1 in their pen. For those of you who don’t know who #1 and #3 are…. Besides the two larger roosters, the Delaware and the White Chantecler, there were three Old English Game bantam roosters. 1,2, and 3. I gave #2 to a friend, #3 runs outside and #1 stays in the pen with the three hens.

ANYWAY… After I let the chickens out I went to the store and to get dad his dinner. When I came back home I took dad his dinner then went to the chicken house. The O.E. Game hens were in the chicken house instead of enjoying their time outside. I squatted down at the door and one of the hens, (in the above photo), walked up and just looked at me. I looked at her and said, “What in the hell happened to you!” Pardon my language, but that is what I said. She stood there looking at me and I at her because I could not figure out what the “F” (and I don’t mean frost or freeze) was wrong with her.

I guess she expected an instant reaction to her predicament but I didn’t have an instant reaction. I was in as much shock as she was. I was looking at her because of the look on her face… I could not at first figure out what was wrong with her. Her top beak was, uh, like missing. So she said, “WELL, now what?” That look of utter puzzlement was on her face and she expected me to do something. She walked off and I had to chase her down so I could have a better look.

I didn’t have my camera with me, or you could tell by the photo why I was in shock. Her top beak had gotten pushed back and was stuck inside her bottom beak! I realize if you know nothing about a chickens anatomy that sounds a little impossible. BUT, inside the bottom beak is a v-shaped area, similar to the inside of our mouth behind our gums. Like where our tongue rests. ANYWAY, that is where the point of this hen’s top beak was stuck. The point of her beak was close to sticking through the skin under the beak. This girl was traumatized.

I took her to the house to show dad because I knew he had never seen anything like that. He looked at her and his jaw dropped. I went back outside and sit in a chair. Then I took a hold of her beak which she didn’t like and wanted down. I put her between my legs so she couldn’t get away and was about to try to somehow push her beak back to dislodge it. She shook her head and her beak popped out. SO, that was much easier than I thought it would be. I rubbed her face and beak for a few minutes. The rooster jumped on the arm of the chair and then on my lap. Her face and beak went back to normal and she started talking. She was OK. GEEZ!!!! I let her down and she immediately started cackling at the cats. Then she and the rooster went down the steps into the grass and she started eating.

I took more photos but I have no idea where they went…

I went out to the chicken house and brought the other two hens. One of them has been broody all summer and the other one for over a month. They are both in the state of confusion where they are coming out of broodiness. They cluck and sing both but are spending most of their time out of the nest now. They still aren’t interested in yet. LOL. The one hen, like I said, did not go broody and continued laying. You can tell the other two have not been laying because their combs are shriveled up…

The other chickens were enjoying their time outside, too. That coop is where #3 stays at night.

Well, I think that is all for this post. I just wanted to tell you about the little hens traumatizing event. Just goes to show you you never know what can happen with you least expect it. How she got that way is a mystery. Maybe she had jumped on the nests of the other hens, like she likes to do, and that happened when she jumped off. Thank goodness she is fine now. WHEW!!!

Stay well, be happy and prosperous. Of course, GET DIRTY!