Well, I need help with "thinking like a chicken". I grew up around chickens. We used them for eggs and meat. Anyway, five weeks ago I was brought a chicken to try to save. She was seriously chewed by a dog and had laid in the rain and cold overnight and most of the next day. She was muddy, sticky, and a total wreck, hypothermic too I'd say. I gave her a good warm rinse, wrapped her in a towel, got the dog's brush and hair dryer and started drying and warming her. The skin was ripped on the back of her neck and across her shoulders. I could actually see the grain of meat at the base of her right wing. Half way up her neck was exposed and she had a puncture on the side of her rump. Left ear was also matted with dried blood. Got her dried, ( I have horses here, so keep penicillin and other basic things) trimmed feathers off the wounds, cleaned them with mild iodine soloution, gave her a shot and put her in a heavy box with clean shavings and heat. I really didn't expect her to be alive the next morning. She was pecking at yogurt offered to her and scratch plus starter feed with B suppplements with buttermilk. Heavy scabs formed on her neck and back, so every three days or so I used a Dial Soap scrub with a surgical scrub brush. Then I'd apply antibiotic ointment. About the third day is when I had to cut off the dead skin that was hanging over her crop. She never moved when I cut it back to viable tissue which bled just a bit. She has done remarkably well. When she was moving about better I started taking her outside , gradually increasing time. This past Saturday she started laying and has laid an egg a day. She goes back to her "hospital box" to lay. But, she thinks she belongs in the house now. She acts like my dog, begs, checks everything I pitch in the garbage can and thinks she should have special food instead of chicken feed. I have started putting her feed outside to get her to eat it better. She watches my hands, even jumps up when I'm on the pc and pecks my elbows apparently to get attention. She is so close on my heels, if I don't watch, I'll step on her toes. The avitar picture was taken today. She was "locked out". She got onto the back of the chair at the window by the pc and pecked on the window. She has picked up all the routines of the house, out the door while I'm at the barn, then back in for breakfast. I take her to the barn when the horses are up. They scare her. This hen has gotten so bold and into everything. I don't recall chickens acting like this.... and I've had "pet chickens" before. She got her comeupance yesterday when dived for the fifth time at the dog's mouth trying to take her fresh bone away from her. She has a new-found respect for the dog. She isn't flighty at anything in the house. She moves to another room for the vacuum though, but just that walks away, not beating her wings and causing a commotion. The only time she gets "really bent" is when she realizes I'm leaving the barn and heading for the house. This chicken was with a flock... living outside. She was not a pet prior to getting hurt... she hadn't been handled even. The man who owned her has a quiet and gentle nature though. It's like she forgot what she is while she was sick. I had a game rooster, raised from a chick that wasn't as bad as this hen. He'd scoot in the door with the dogs if you didn't watch him though. He loved coming in and getting treats but not this hen. This hen will make me think I've lost my mind. Any insight to how a chicken thinks would be helpful
