A couple of weeks ago Dotty ate one of my earrings. It was a gold stud and when I looked in my jewellery box I found that I had a spare identical earring. I must have lost one many years ago and bought an identical pair which gave me the spare, so the simple thing seemed to put that one in my ear in place of the “lost” one.
Last night at bedtime I was having a bit of together time with the girls. I was sat with my arm resting on the coop handle and Bluebell jumped onto my arm, she prefers to have a perch. Dotty as usual jumped onto my shoulder and Pepper jumped onto my lap. I think this is the first time I have had all three girls sat on me at once.
Suddenly Dotty once again swiftly removed my earring from the same ear as before. It was a bit difficult for me to do much about it with three chickens sat on me. Again I reached up and found the earring missing but the back still there. With three chickens sat on me and the earring back being super tiny, I lost it. I thought I had managed to push it into my pocket but couldn’t find it later.
I couldn’t find the earring so can only think that once again Dotty has swallowed it. She now has a matching pair!
I have now replaced the gold studs with some tiny ruby studs. I hope these will be less shiny and therefore less attractive to Dotty. I don’t know what else to do as it would be difficult to keep taking them out every time I go into the girls as I am in and out all day. I feel like I need to wear ear defenders but that’s not practical either and as anyone who wears earrings will know, if you leave them out the pierced hole will close up.
I hope this pair will stop Dotty taking them. She is so quick and accurate that I feel nothing but a quick tug and can’t tell the earring has gone until I put my hand up to check. I am amazed that she pulls it from the back without making contact to my skin and therefore not hurting me.
I hope the earring don’t harm her, she doesn’t seem to be effected by it at all. I do hope this is the last earring she swallows!
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Hi Carol,
I don’t think you should worry about leaving your earrings out, it is unlikely they will close up if you have had them pierced for many years. I have mine pierced twice, and I have left earrings out of the second holes for 2+ years with no problems. On the ears, the holes become established after time (wearing earrings for many years) and are unlikely to close unless you don’t use them for many many years. The other thing you could do is to buy a different kind of earring back. There are some which are much tighter around the pin and will hold the earring very strongly, however I would worry that Dotty might pull your ear off if she went for it!
I too have my ears pierced twice but Dotty only goes for the top one. I also thought about a tighter earring back but as you say I don’t want her pulling at my ear. I think for now I will see if changing the earring to less shiny ones will put her off.
This morning she was pecking at the studs on my boots and they all peck at the stones in my rings if they get the chance. When they jump on my lap I hold my hands palms up so that they are not attracted to my rings. They do love shiny things!
Were they gold? Is she going to lay the golden egg?
They were gold, still waiting for the golden egg though!
Oh, such silly hens. But won’t the red of the ruby be even MORE attractive to the girls? Chickens love red. I dunno. Maybe a scarf or head band that goes over the ears would protect them. I know how fast they can peck at something and it’s gone.
You are right, tonight when I was in with them at bedtime all three jumped on me the same as last night with Dotty on my shoulder. She went straight for the ruby earring but I managed to get my hand over it before she could take it. She then went for my ring and I had to hold my hand over my ear with my palm out, I am sure we looked totally silly! I am going to take the ruby earrings out tomorrow and have a rethink. This is a problem I hadn’t expected. I want to laugh in a way but I really don’t her with a crop full of earrings!