Fox attack - limp neck

[Loona]

I am so happy to hear this amazingly heart-warming update! And kudos to you and your family for your love and patience to Olga!

As for the nerves it can take up to 1 year for them to reconnect, if it hasn't come back then it most likely won't. Reading thru your posts and how she walks fine in the house and the tractor, but falls over when she is in the yard. I'm wondering if it has something to do with her equilibrium and/or her inner ear. I don't know much in this area, but she can keep her balance with something above and around her, but if its open she looses it. Just a thought.....

It's a balance issue so yes, equilibrium could very well be part of the equation. It could also be muscular because she doesn't seem to have full range of motion, like when someone has a crick in their neck. And then it could be nerves. Could be all three. I've also noticed that her right eye is a tad droopy on the upper eyelid and her left eye looks normal. Time will tell the full outcome but from what I see, she can still live a very good life. We just have to make a new coop, problem we don't have a good docile mate for her :\

She's really a complete joy. Follows me around like a puppy walking so fast to the kitchen because that means she may get some treats like sunflowers, rolled oats or a strawberry, to which she thinks is a fine catch, like she caught a bug and is trying to keep it away from other chickens. Very glad to share the good news of her recovery. : )

The biggest fix for this is the chicken coop. No matter if it's hot out and you wanna just leave the doors open, forget it. Shut them up tight. Inspect the coop occasionally for any gaps or loose fittings/nails, etc. Add the strong galvanized tiny-mesh to their window screens on this inside and the outside. Apply w/nails and staples and finish it off with some wood trim. Use two locks per door and put clips on them all to keep out the smart predators. Just make it doubly hard for a predator to get in. Make sure the hardware holding the doors are strong and secure, and always, no matter what, never forget to shut them up tight every evening. They're safer and you'll sleep better at night. We learned our lesson the hard way. Like they say an ounce of prevention equals a pound of cure!!

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

That's what always worries me about the automatic pop doors. It would be great to have it set up to let them out but I'd be so worried about shutting it.
What if one didn't go in in time and was shut out over night.
Or worse you shut some predator in with them!
It's worth the walk out there and the time to do a head count if you ask me.

 

[Summer Lion]

Yes, it rather tickled me too, because I can't blame her, that UPS truck would be crazy big to a chicken!
It's still quite bizarre, but in a happy way, to have a chicken just walking around the house! Olga seriously acts like a pet. She quietly walks around from room to room checking on things and stopping to groom herself and of course pooping! Good thing we have hardwood floors throughout and a great rug cleaner. I clean after her all day and we wash our hands like crazy. She isn't scared or timid of anyone. She understands things we say or ask. I've discovered that she loves a soft blanket that's full of fluffy stuff. She 'roosts' in a litterbox with a lid. It's so cute to see her put herself to bed every night, and never poops in it. It's always clean. She lays her eggs in there too.

Everyone that comes over is happy to see how far she's come. They call her the miracle chicken because I think people thought it was all in vain and she was going to die. Her limp neck (like jelly) and initial infection were most worrisome and didn't look good. I waited a couple days before using an antibiotic, so my advice would be to start it right away. I wondered myself at times if it was all in vain. I heard about the neuro problems but part of me wondered if time was part of the cure. It is. It took some intense care in the beginning, and we put off our summer vacation to care for her, and we can say it was totally worth it. I seriously couldn't have done this without the help and support of all of you here, it pushed me along. All I can say is thank you so much and Olga surely thanks you too! The advice and support here is outstanding!

Life got in the way and I haven't checked BYC for a long time. I am beyond THRILLED to see how beautifully things turned out for Olga!

 

[Loona]

Life got in the way and I haven't checked BYC for a long time. I am beyond THRILLED to see how beautifully things turned out for Olga!

Hi, Thank you! Yes, Olga is doing great, and still our house chicken! She gets along with the cat/dog and she's very nice. She walks with a limp and can't quite use her neck normally, but she's doing fine. Goes through spurts of daily egg laying, and we love her beautiful blue eggs. The best tasting in my opinion. Shortly she will join the others outside in a special coop made just for her. She won't do well w/all the others, but there is one hen she may be good with.
We're still diligent in making sure coops are tight w/locks and clips and mesh is secure inside and out of windows. Lesson learned! Thank you for thinking of her!!! <3

 

[iisray]

we just had the same thing happen to our chicken. 3 weeks ago we lost 10 chickens and 8 rabbits in one night to a fox. last night, the dang thing came back and somehow got in again and killed another chicken and attacked a second, but did not kill it. We have moved all out chickens into our garage at night, until we totally fix how its getting in. Our hen is barely moving on her own, but she is able to drink on her own and even eat a little. She just can't lift her head at all. This very concerning to us. Her wounds are superficial, except for the eye she lost. We are just wondering if she will pull through as well