alone
3 stories filed under alone on Alektorophobia. The newest of them: “Why are the neighborhood chickens suddenly doing the fowl flop?”, “Sweeney's gone quiet, her crop's empty: time for some cluck-tastic detective work”, and “Hatching drama: Will Mama Hen reject this late-blooming chick”. There I was, hauling a mystery chicken home from the roadside at night, already questioning my life choices, when the poor thing face-plants mid-step. Oh, Sweeney's gone quiet, and that's never a good sign. Chickens. Everything there is to know about chickens and the fear of them. The list below is every alone story on Alektorophobia, newest first.
Why are the neighborhood chickens suddenly doing the fowl flop?
There I was, hauling a mystery chicken home from the roadside at night, already questioning my life choices, when the poor thing face-plants mid-step. Then, as if the universe needed to double down on the weirdness, I spot another feathered friend literally falling out of a tree. That's not a clumsy oops, that's a red flag with feathers. I'm no vet, but a chicken that can't stand and a buddy taking an unscheduled aerial exit sounds less like a party trick and more like something contagious creeping through the neighborhood. Time to play detective before our whole block turns into a fowl flop festival. For anyone dealing with their own feathery chaos, our piece on purring hens proves these birds keep us guessing.
Sweeney's gone quiet, her crop's empty: time for some cluck-tastic detective work
Oh, Sweeney's gone quiet, and that's never a good sign. A normally active young hen suddenly sitting alone in the coop, refusing to eat or drink, with an empty crop? That's the kind of fowl play that sends a shiver down any chicken keeper's spine. It's egg-citing in the worst way, time for some cluck-tastic detective work. First, don't panic, but do act. An empty crop means she isn't blocked there, so the issue could be internal, infection, stress, or even a reproductive hiccup. Check her vent, feel her abdomen, and watch for lethargy. If she's still not perking up in a few hours, a vet visit is wise. For more on flock mysteries, our piece on Marigold's croaking might offer some solidarity.
Hatching drama: Will Mama Hen reject this late-blooming chick
Twenty-four hours after her first chick hatched, Mama Hen abandoned the nest, and now there's a very active, late-blooming baby still fighting inside an egg. I've got it in the incubator, watching the candling show, knowing it could pip any day. But will she take this straggler back? Technically, I can raise it myself, but solo chicks don't thrive, and letting it perish because she refused to keep sitting? That's not an option. This is the kind of fowl play that keeps chicken keepers up at night, equal parts hope, anxiety, and a desperate need for a cluck-tastic reunion. If you've ever faced a broody standoff, you'll relate. For more feather-raising drama, check out "Help! My Chick's New Feathers Are Just Bare Stems."