My name is Sadie, and about 5 years ago, my dad and I convinced my mother into buying 6 barney chicks from a guy at a flea market. I had always wanted to add chickens to my menagerie of animals, so we did. After learning our lessons the hard way and going to the occasional chicken swap, we currently have 3 Buff Orphington hens, 4 McClain game hens, 3 Jersey Giant hens, 3 Sicilian Buttercup hens, 2 Dominique hens, 2 Wyandotte hens, 3 New Hampshire red hens, and a barney roosters.
So my dad and I were driving to town and we what looks like maybe a bobwhite or a hawk of some kind on the side of the road. Since it's raining and slightly chilly, the little bird looks pretty pathetic. We drive closer and decide it's a little game hen all by herself, and we decide that if she was there when we came back, we would catch her and bring her home. And, needless to say, she was. She was limping pretty badly and ran towards an old abandoned toll house by the side of the railroad. We eventually caught her and right away I noticed the heat coming from the leg she was limping on. I checked it out, and there is a nice black scab about the size of a kiwi fruit, and it smelled. However, she smelled like wet feathers, not infection or rot. And this wound is dry and definitley healing. On the drive home, she was alert and bright eyed, and noticeably happier, and I covered her head so she would rest a bit. She cooed and clucked contently the whole way. We put her in a cardboard box inside with a towel(I opted against shavings and hay/straw, I wanted the enviornment as sanitary as possible) and gave her some food and water, which she ate right away. She called for my other chickens as we came in, so she isn't in so much pain that she only feels sorry for herself. I closed the box so she can sleep and recuperate.
I don't know if she'll live or die, but I'm going to give her the best chance possible to heal, and if she doesn't make it, she will have had a warm home with food and been content in the end. Any ideas/experiences to share would be appreciated. Thanks for reading. I'll keep you updated.
So my dad and I were driving to town and we what looks like maybe a bobwhite or a hawk of some kind on the side of the road. Since it's raining and slightly chilly, the little bird looks pretty pathetic. We drive closer and decide it's a little game hen all by herself, and we decide that if she was there when we came back, we would catch her and bring her home. And, needless to say, she was. She was limping pretty badly and ran towards an old abandoned toll house by the side of the railroad. We eventually caught her and right away I noticed the heat coming from the leg she was limping on. I checked it out, and there is a nice black scab about the size of a kiwi fruit, and it smelled. However, she smelled like wet feathers, not infection or rot. And this wound is dry and definitley healing. On the drive home, she was alert and bright eyed, and noticeably happier, and I covered her head so she would rest a bit. She cooed and clucked contently the whole way. We put her in a cardboard box inside with a towel(I opted against shavings and hay/straw, I wanted the enviornment as sanitary as possible) and gave her some food and water, which she ate right away. She called for my other chickens as we came in, so she isn't in so much pain that she only feels sorry for herself. I closed the box so she can sleep and recuperate.
I don't know if she'll live or die, but I'm going to give her the best chance possible to heal, and if she doesn't make it, she will have had a warm home with food and been content in the end. Any ideas/experiences to share would be appreciated. Thanks for reading. I'll keep you updated.
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