Crippled chicken

I have a crippled chicken. Slipped tendon I believe. She can't use one of her legs. She can kind of hop around on her good leg....especially when the rooster next door calls his girls over for treats. You should see how fast she can hope across her pen to try to get some.

I have tried a few different options for her. I live on a big hill so as she became more and more gimpy, it became very difficult for her to get up the hill. So I tried moving her into my bantam mottled cochin pen. Turns out that rooster hates anything that is not pretty and fluffy and mottled. She got picked on and picked on and couldn't get out of the coop (steep ramp) so would just sit up there in the corner all day. So I tried moving her back to the big coop/backyard. The one week vacation made her prime target for attacks and I found her laying at the bottom of the hill one day.....head all bloodied from being pecked at.






So I moved her into my 8x8 "baby pen". I usually use it to grow out young birds as it has hardware cloth fencing so they can't get out. It is covered with a tarp so it is shady and weather resistant.




But I felt sorry for her, being in there all alone.




So I made her a babysitter. Moved a bunch of young cockerels out there to grow out. She can't move well enough to chase them down but if they annoy her she will whallop them while sitting there.







It seemed to work well. She had company and the kids had room to run around.

She seemed pretty happy with the whole arrangement.










I have since taken those boys out and moved in a batch of young pullets. They are still in there...

And today I added about 13 young chicks. They are broody raised and the hen was ready to spend at least some time away from there, so I have been removing her during the day and putting her back at night. I have decided to cut the cord completely and booted her out permanently.........and moved them to the 8x8 pen.





I knew I would have to catch them all and put them away tonight.........it always takes a few days for the chickens to figure it out.

So when I went out there tonight, i brought a flashlight in preparation to round up chicks.


And here is what I found.

Aw, how sweet! She has a job!

Oh how funny, I just sent you a PM to come see this thread........and you were already here! LOL

Yes, she has a job and a purpose. She was too sad in there all alone. Now she has little monsters to keep in line.

Oh how cute! I love happy endings.

Every broody hen trusts her babies around my crippled Zane, even if she has never been in his group, even blue Orp, Dusty, did. I call it playing Uncle Zane. It's amazing to see that, babies jumping over him, snatching food from under his beak, etc., and mama just letting them get all around him.

I love stories like this

Maybe you should give Zane a job too He could probably raise some incubator or hatchery chicks pretty darn well. I also have a million broodies here, but I dont like to leave the chicks with them forever. This little hen is a good transition period between MOM and the big yard and flock.

awww...

Here is Uncle Zane with Shadow and her last brood two years ago. They all just trust him implicitly and he seems to enjoy looking out for the babies and moms. Right now, Nugget has a 5 week old Dellie cross chick and she hangs close to Zane when they're out on range and he's enjoying the sunshine.

This made me smile! How adorable!