"Some might call this a fustercluck. But on the Upper East Side, we call it Saturday afternoon."

Just because their choice of wear is feathers and not Neiman Marcus, doesn't make them any less prone to girly drama.

I've noticed lately that the hens have been rather "moody." Gone are the days where one or two hens ruled the roost and now are the days of the whole flock fighting for dominance. To be top of the pecking order. To be the baddest bitch of the hen yard. To be mamma hen.

And they are all fighting for the position. ( Except for the blondes.....who have once again surprised me with their intelligence.)

So while I was in the yard watching them duke it out over what seems to be nothing. ( Alot of jumping, pecking each others heads, and chasing each other around- thankfully no blood or loss of feathers) I happened to notice a poor girl all by her lonesome, a little less eager to nibble on the scratch I threw into their yard.

This poor girl had a swollen eye.

Now last year we had a chicken with a swollen eyeball, and after researching it on google I found out that we had a zombie chicken on our hands. No exaggeration.  After going to Tractor Supply, (the next best thing to google) we found out that our chicken had a swollen eyeball probably because of a ground hornet.

Exhibit A:

You see, when a chicken is content, the roll around in the dirt and take a dirt bath.  They dig some pretty deep holes and all jump in together rolling and rolling and throwing dirt all around.  THIS can cause a ground hornet to get pretty ticked if its home is now a chickens dirt bath.  

We had separated that particular chicken and she healed up within a weeks time, no problem, no zombie chicken apocalypse impending.

Another thing that could happen is that the hen could get dirt in her eyes.

I checked on the newest hen to have this happen today and the swelling went down tremendously from yesterday, but none the less I wanted to separate her to keep her away from the stresses of the flock, and let her get some much needed rest. Also by separating her , she will be able to get her own food and water without the high school, estrogen dynamics of the rest of the flock bothering her.

Here she is resting in the homemade chicken clinic.

Mind the grill in the background.......this is not the next step in treatment.

I'm hoping that she will continue to get better, I'd hate it to be anything else other than a serious sting. Treating a flock for chicken illnesses means antibiotics, and that I'm not crazy about. Our hens are all natural. Their eggs are fantastic. Treatment would mean weeks of eggs thrown away and wasted, and a now compromised immune system for the girls.

I will keep you updated