Meet Drumstick, the one-legged cockerel--Happy UPDATE on pg 3

Several weeks ago this cockerel was sleeping in the corner of his pen with his flock-mates when a raccoon reached under the side (the ground was really dry & loose) and grabbed a few out for a meal. It just pulled the leg off this cockerel, I actually found it outside the pen. There wasn't any bleeding from the injury, it seems to have cleanly pulled the leg bone out of the hip socket. When I found the leg I didn't realize it was from this chick, I thought it was a part of one of the other half-eaten chicks, so I didn't examine it closely. I later noticed this chick looking very sorry for himself, and only then realized that he only had one leg left.

The skin around it was bruised-looking for a few days. I gave him no special treatment. He was able to heal & rally all by himself. Now his name is Drumstick, and he lives with a few bantam chicks for now. His flock-mates his same age & size were taking advantage of his immobility and pecking the feathers off his back. They are growing back in now. I'm impressed with how he is able to adapt to living with only one leg, he can even hop up to roost.

Poor little guy!
That is just so sad!
It's amazing how "springy" chickens are.
They are awesome.
I'm glad he's doing well!

That's horrible! He's so lucky to have you.
I have a JG roo with 1 eye. I keep him because he would only end up as dinner somewhere else.

Aww the poor little guy. Glad he's doing well.

Mmmm, drumstick! He's pretty cute though so I guess I'll have some filet mignon tonight.

that is so amazing that he survived!!

Talk about a roo you can rest easy that he wont flog you XD

Poor little guy! I am glad to hear he is doing well with only one leg though. Good luck with him! I love the name by the way!

Well, with a name like Drumstick... you might be able to guess where he's going...

I wish I had the resources to keep birds like him around, just to reward pluckiness & spunk. But he would always have to be in a fully-enclosed pen, he'd be such a target for the hawks, and probably wouldn't be able to mate successfully. But I bet he would certainly try! He doesn't think he's missing anything, the first day I put him in the pen with some young bantams he frilled his hackles and got in a stand-off with a little Dutch cockerel. And had the other guy rather intimidated too!

He's certainly worth keeping for the table since I prefer white meat... and I'm interested to see how his frame looks under his feathers & skin.

But if a local BYCer wanted him to keep as a pet I would gladly give Drumstick to them. I'm in western West Palm Beach, FL, just let me know.

Dang raccoons.

Glad he has such a compassionate owner.