- Jan 29, 2010
- 507
- 3
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A little over two weeks ago I was putting my daughter to bed and happened to look out her window, and a FOX was in the pen between the henhouse and the shed! I RAN
out there as fast as I could, barefoot and leaped over the fence, but the fox was gone. My daughter leaned out the window and said she saw it run through/over the fence and
into the Lilacs. I started walking in that dierction and saw a little black and white splash lying in the grass just inside the fence. My heart sank, I ran over and it was one of the
two week old Barred rock/australorp chicks. It was lying on the ground with its legs streched out behind it, looking up at me peeping. I scooped it up and it couldn't move its
legs. I thought it was a goner, so I brought into the henhouse, kissed it, and put it in a corner to die in peace. I checked on it before I went to bed, when I opend the door the
chicks had huddled against it, and they startled and scattered, the injured one using its wings to pull itself across the floor, it had apparently dragged itself across the floor to
join them after I left it. I made sure it was snuggled with the others and went to bed. I prepared myself for the worst when I went out in the morning, but it was still alive. It
had some use of one leg, and was sort of lying on one side, with the good leg under it, the other one sticking out behind it, toes curled and limp. It didnt seem to have any
interest in food so I mixed up some electrolytes, opened its beak and gave it a few drops at a time from an eyedropper. As I checked on it periodically through the day, it
seemed to be getting worse, leaning more to one side, breathing more heavily, clicking as it breathed. Then I found the bubble, an air bubble the size of a golf ball on one side,
you could see right through it to the muscle. I had no idea what that was, but I figured it must be very bad, maybe a punctured lung? I was sure it wasnt going to make it.
When DH came home I showed him and was going ask him to put it down, but he beat me to it and said I am NOT killing that chick! So we decided to let nature take its course.
I gave it some more electrolytes and let it be. In the morning it was lying under the feeder by itself, eyes closed, all stretched out, and it was sort of having these little spasms
that pulled its head back. When I touched it, the little bugger struggled to sit up, and peeped frantically, so I left it alone. I felt awful letting it suffer so. I felt so irresponsible.
When my daughter got home she went in to see it and it was sitting up again, she picked it up and it was calm, then she says,"Mama the bubbles smaller!" I said oh good, but
I wouldnt get my hopes up, I dont think hes going to make it honey. We gave it some more electrolytes. The next thing I know she comes out and says he is eating and
drinking. She held him up to the feeder and waterer and he ate and drank! After dinner I went out to check it and sure enough it was sitting up still and could sort of scoot
around with its one good leg, and balance with its wings. The bubble was GONE, without a trace. I was blown away. I filled a waterer with electrolytes, and a feeder and put it
in the chick area so he didn't need to go far to get to it. Over the next week just it continued to improve, gaining partial use of it's other leg, although the foot remained curled
up. In another week it was walking on the bad leg, even though the toes were curled. When I uncurled its toes, it curled them back up itself, it even had a little bit of a grip,
though it was slow to react. I decided to try and splint the foot and see if it helped him walk. So a little cardboard and tape later he was walking on it, but it held the leg out at
a funny angle and kept tripping on it. I left it on overnight, and the next day, I figured he seemed to get along better with the toes curled up, and took of the splint. Miracle of
miracles, the foot stayed normal! He could walk almost normally! I couldnt believe it. He has continued to improve every day and now he doesnt even have a limp. He is smaller
than the others his age, I think the ordeal slowed his growth, but he seems normal otherwise.
I just had to share this little chicks story. This experience has reminded me to have hope, perseverence, and to trust that life will find a way to sort itself out.
And finally a pic of the little cutie.
Sorry about the text looking so wierd, I tried to fix it 3 times, it doesnt look like that in the preview! If anyone knows how to fix it please let me know!
out there as fast as I could, barefoot and leaped over the fence, but the fox was gone. My daughter leaned out the window and said she saw it run through/over the fence and
into the Lilacs. I started walking in that dierction and saw a little black and white splash lying in the grass just inside the fence. My heart sank, I ran over and it was one of the
two week old Barred rock/australorp chicks. It was lying on the ground with its legs streched out behind it, looking up at me peeping. I scooped it up and it couldn't move its
legs. I thought it was a goner, so I brought into the henhouse, kissed it, and put it in a corner to die in peace. I checked on it before I went to bed, when I opend the door the
chicks had huddled against it, and they startled and scattered, the injured one using its wings to pull itself across the floor, it had apparently dragged itself across the floor to
join them after I left it. I made sure it was snuggled with the others and went to bed. I prepared myself for the worst when I went out in the morning, but it was still alive. It
had some use of one leg, and was sort of lying on one side, with the good leg under it, the other one sticking out behind it, toes curled and limp. It didnt seem to have any
interest in food so I mixed up some electrolytes, opened its beak and gave it a few drops at a time from an eyedropper. As I checked on it periodically through the day, it
seemed to be getting worse, leaning more to one side, breathing more heavily, clicking as it breathed. Then I found the bubble, an air bubble the size of a golf ball on one side,
you could see right through it to the muscle. I had no idea what that was, but I figured it must be very bad, maybe a punctured lung? I was sure it wasnt going to make it.
When DH came home I showed him and was going ask him to put it down, but he beat me to it and said I am NOT killing that chick! So we decided to let nature take its course.
I gave it some more electrolytes and let it be. In the morning it was lying under the feeder by itself, eyes closed, all stretched out, and it was sort of having these little spasms
that pulled its head back. When I touched it, the little bugger struggled to sit up, and peeped frantically, so I left it alone. I felt awful letting it suffer so. I felt so irresponsible.
When my daughter got home she went in to see it and it was sitting up again, she picked it up and it was calm, then she says,"Mama the bubbles smaller!" I said oh good, but
I wouldnt get my hopes up, I dont think hes going to make it honey. We gave it some more electrolytes. The next thing I know she comes out and says he is eating and
drinking. She held him up to the feeder and waterer and he ate and drank! After dinner I went out to check it and sure enough it was sitting up still and could sort of scoot
around with its one good leg, and balance with its wings. The bubble was GONE, without a trace. I was blown away. I filled a waterer with electrolytes, and a feeder and put it
in the chick area so he didn't need to go far to get to it. Over the next week just it continued to improve, gaining partial use of it's other leg, although the foot remained curled
up. In another week it was walking on the bad leg, even though the toes were curled. When I uncurled its toes, it curled them back up itself, it even had a little bit of a grip,
though it was slow to react. I decided to try and splint the foot and see if it helped him walk. So a little cardboard and tape later he was walking on it, but it held the leg out at
a funny angle and kept tripping on it. I left it on overnight, and the next day, I figured he seemed to get along better with the toes curled up, and took of the splint. Miracle of
miracles, the foot stayed normal! He could walk almost normally! I couldnt believe it. He has continued to improve every day and now he doesnt even have a limp. He is smaller
than the others his age, I think the ordeal slowed his growth, but he seems normal otherwise.
I just had to share this little chicks story. This experience has reminded me to have hope, perseverence, and to trust that life will find a way to sort itself out.
And finally a pic of the little cutie.
Sorry about the text looking so wierd, I tried to fix it 3 times, it doesnt look like that in the preview! If anyone knows how to fix it please let me know!
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