We'd observed strange behavior in our 2 free range Sumatra chickens for a couple of days. Frankie didn't seem to be getting around well -- he and Nancy were camped out on the ground under the rampant bridal wreath bush. Nancy came out more than Frankie which is definitely not usual. She foraged in the cat-safety-zone on the front porch stealing cat food and water frequently. He was walking with difficulty because something was tangled around his legs. Roosting on the ground isn't conducive to long life in chickens due to the murderous racoons in the woods! Time for human(e) intervention.
On Monday morning while son Jeremy loaded his pickup for the move to his new house in Ohio, Frankie and Nancy decided to ask for help. They parked themselves right inside the porch door, safe from the dogs and unafraid of the pesky cats, but impeding truck loading. I trapped Frankie in a big dog food box and left him with a handful of cat food. Nancy spent the day hanging out in the garage with the studly young rooster in self-imposed exile from our other three young meat roosters.
Roosters, especially mature fellows with big spurs, aren't a lot of fun to handle when they're awake, so I left Frankie in his box with a bag of cat food on top to keep him secure. Jeremy left for Ohio with Welsh Corgi Ralphie, Wayne departed for the afternoon school bus run, 3 labs napped on our bed, and I went off to my final Reference & Bibliography class in Roanoke.
When I got home around 10pm, Frankie was sound asleep in his dark box. The other hens, roosters, and guineas were tucked in for the night so I removed the box. Brave Husband Wayne (in heavy work gloves) grabbed the stuporous bird and held him still for the delicate surgery. I cut and unwrapped the string from spurs, legs and feet. My beautiful iridescent black/green rooster, Frankie Sumatra, has been safely freed of the string that he was tangled in! He spent the night recovering in the hen house since he was too groggy to roost safely. I'm on my way to release him now to rejoin his true love and constant companion Nancy Sumatra.
