Hi, everyone!
Warning: This is a long post!!!
I rescued Andily from behind a cafe' in a small town around here full of chickens. My boyfriend and I had stepped inside to have a bite to eat, and since I had been holding chickens all day I went to the bathroom to wash my hands. The bathroom was outside, and when I went around to the side of the building, I saw a bunch of chicks following their mamas to the alley behind the cafe'. I followed them through the gate to watch them and explore yet another chicken-filled area of the little town.
As I looked around, I caught a glimpse of a large bird far back in an old shelf used to store mop buckets and patio chairs. I knelt down to look at her hiding at the very back behind the chairs and buckets. It was a pretty tight space and I had to stretch to touch her. She didn't struggle or try to escape. She simply cowered there in the dark. As my eyes adjusted, I saw that she had a large patch of bare skin on her back, caked thick with dried blood.
I went immediately back into the cafe' and found my boyfriend. I pulled him outside and around to the back alley to show him. I told him she needed rescuing, but he kept saying, "I think she's okay, sweetie." As we stood there discussing the situation, one of the roosters walked up to her, leaned way in toward her, and pecked her wound mercilessly while she tried in vain to cower farther back in the shelf. That was it. I moved the chairs and lifted her carefully up, hugging her to me. She had found the farthest, most isolated corner in the park, in the smallest crevice she could find to hide in, and still she hadn't been able to find any peace.
My boyfriend knew then that we had a second chicken. When I had gotten her into the car and calmed her down, I got a chance to look at her better. I was shocked to find just how extensive her wounds were. I had only been able to see an injury about one by two inches, but as I lifted her feathers, I found a featherless, bloody, crusted mess almost as big as my whole hand. When we got her home, my boyfriend gave her water, and she drank for almost ten minutes straight. She was still drinking when her craw was full and water began flowing out of her mouth every time she put her head down. I don't know how long she must have been without water.
My mother and I were very concerned her feathers would never grow back in that area due to the fact that the wound was practically down to the fat, like a severe burn. After several days of intensive cleaning and medicating the wound, the feathers began to grow in. It's been about four weeks now, and the feathers are almost completely grown back. You'd never be able to tell how bad she's had it!!
My mother took a few pictures my mother took in the park that day before we took her home. Her wound was facing me in these shots so you can't see it. (I considered taking before and after shots to see how she healed, but it was too horrible.)
Here's one my mother took that day in which you can see Andily pretty well. She looks so terrified here, she doesn't look that way now.
Another of she and I, she looking less terrified.
My uncle (holding my silkie, Brigid), my dad feeding Andily while I held her, and my boyfriend. (You can see village chickens in the background!!)
I'm not so good at telling breeds, and although she looks like an older bird, I can't tell how old. My only thought as to what che might be is an EE. Oh, I almost forgot -- she lays very light blue eggs a couple times a week, although most of them don't have shells. They're like little water balloons!! Maybe she needs more calcium?
Any ideas what breed she is or how old she might be?
Thank you to anyone who read all the way through this post!!!!
Warning: This is a long post!!!
I rescued Andily from behind a cafe' in a small town around here full of chickens. My boyfriend and I had stepped inside to have a bite to eat, and since I had been holding chickens all day I went to the bathroom to wash my hands. The bathroom was outside, and when I went around to the side of the building, I saw a bunch of chicks following their mamas to the alley behind the cafe'. I followed them through the gate to watch them and explore yet another chicken-filled area of the little town.
As I looked around, I caught a glimpse of a large bird far back in an old shelf used to store mop buckets and patio chairs. I knelt down to look at her hiding at the very back behind the chairs and buckets. It was a pretty tight space and I had to stretch to touch her. She didn't struggle or try to escape. She simply cowered there in the dark. As my eyes adjusted, I saw that she had a large patch of bare skin on her back, caked thick with dried blood.
I went immediately back into the cafe' and found my boyfriend. I pulled him outside and around to the back alley to show him. I told him she needed rescuing, but he kept saying, "I think she's okay, sweetie." As we stood there discussing the situation, one of the roosters walked up to her, leaned way in toward her, and pecked her wound mercilessly while she tried in vain to cower farther back in the shelf. That was it. I moved the chairs and lifted her carefully up, hugging her to me. She had found the farthest, most isolated corner in the park, in the smallest crevice she could find to hide in, and still she hadn't been able to find any peace.
My boyfriend knew then that we had a second chicken. When I had gotten her into the car and calmed her down, I got a chance to look at her better. I was shocked to find just how extensive her wounds were. I had only been able to see an injury about one by two inches, but as I lifted her feathers, I found a featherless, bloody, crusted mess almost as big as my whole hand. When we got her home, my boyfriend gave her water, and she drank for almost ten minutes straight. She was still drinking when her craw was full and water began flowing out of her mouth every time she put her head down. I don't know how long she must have been without water.
My mother and I were very concerned her feathers would never grow back in that area due to the fact that the wound was practically down to the fat, like a severe burn. After several days of intensive cleaning and medicating the wound, the feathers began to grow in. It's been about four weeks now, and the feathers are almost completely grown back. You'd never be able to tell how bad she's had it!!
My mother took a few pictures my mother took in the park that day before we took her home. Her wound was facing me in these shots so you can't see it. (I considered taking before and after shots to see how she healed, but it was too horrible.)
Here's one my mother took that day in which you can see Andily pretty well. She looks so terrified here, she doesn't look that way now.
Another of she and I, she looking less terrified.
My uncle (holding my silkie, Brigid), my dad feeding Andily while I held her, and my boyfriend. (You can see village chickens in the background!!)
I'm not so good at telling breeds, and although she looks like an older bird, I can't tell how old. My only thought as to what che might be is an EE. Oh, I almost forgot -- she lays very light blue eggs a couple times a week, although most of them don't have shells. They're like little water balloons!! Maybe she needs more calcium?
Any ideas what breed she is or how old she might be?
Thank you to anyone who read all the way through this post!!!!
