Oct 1

Oct 1 Animal Health & Welfare • Meet Aretha Franklin

I’m down to one chicken. Aretha Franklin.

The neighborhood bobcat has killed several of my chickens, and all of my neighbors’ chickens.

Cathy The Texan and Aretha Franklin (1).jpg

Sitting outside with my front door open at 1:00 in the afternoon a few months ago, this bobcat grabbed one of my Buff Orpingtons, Bonnie Raitt. I ran outside and chased after the bobcat who was taking my chicken up the creekbed. I screamed and ran after it up the creek, and it actually dropped my chicken. Stunned and frozen, when I reached down to pick her up, she burst up squawking. Bonnie Raitt was a changed chicken after this experience. She wouldn’t eat for several days, wouldn’t lay eggs for several weeks and started moulting about two days after being nabbed.

Since being the only chicken left, Aretha Franklin has not only been acting strangely, she has not laid any eggs.

There are many reasons chickens will stop laying eggs. A primary reason is stress- from poor living conditions, illness or trauma. Another reason chickens stop laying is a decrease in light- chickens need at least 14 hours a day to lay eggs, so during the winter months, they may not lay eggs. Nutrition can play a factor- chickens need 20 grams of protein per day to lay, so feeding only maize, or cracked corn, is not sufficient (feeding pumpkin seeds, oats and mealworms can help). Chickens will stop laying while moulting- chickens typically moult once per year, usually during late Summer/early Fall. Age is another factor- as a chicken’s age increases, egg production decreases.

You might not see eggs because, sometimes chickens eat their own eggs. Broody hens will hide their eggs in an attempt to hatch them- I had a chicken who secretly protected a nest of eggs that counted 18 by the time I discovered her secret spot in the ferns.

Dr. Karen Novak, owner of Village Veterinary in Mendocino, loves chickens. She treats the range of problems- from egg-bound and prolapsed chickens, to traumatic wounds and nutrition issues. She has even seen “many old chickens that end up having ovarian cancer”.

I won’t expect eggs from Aretha Franklin any time soon. She is confused by the loss of her coop-mates, she has started to moult and we are heading into Fall. She has warmed up to Rex and The Texan (my cat), and while they are not chickens, they are certainly not bobcats.

Above left: Aretha Franklin and The Texan;

Above: Aretha Franklin and Rex.

Cathy Riehm

After growing up showing horses, Cathy Sue Riehm moved on to graduate from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in Animal and Dairy Science, majoring in Equine Reproduction. One day after graduation, she started as Veterinary Technician II in the Large Animal Teaching Hospital at UGA, working with horses, cows, llamas, donkeys, sheep, goats and exotic animals. Four years later, she moved to Colorado to work for a laarge animal and exotics veterinarian, a camel breeder/trainer and an exotic animal rescue facility. After moving to California, Cathy Sue has worked for several veterinarians, and has also worked closely with giraffes, zebras, antelope and donkeys. Cathy Sue has attended over a dozen veterinary technician conferences and seminars, including the Giraffe Hoof Trimming Conference in CO. She is currently finishing an Associate’s degree in Veterinary Technology. Her experience (professional and personal) and education has been focused on behavior, training, husbandry and medicine, especially hoof health and hoof trimming.