Kriemhilde
Hatching
I'm the new girl on the block. I've loved everything about chickens since i was a wee one on my grandparents' farm where i was allowed to help collect the eggs and occasionally hold and cuddle a cooperative hen. My whole adult life has been spent rescuing and adopting animals but i have never had chickens until now. On my way into town a few days ago i saw a big chicken hardly able to walk, pecking away on the shoulder of the road. I stopped and picked it up. It had a severely swollen left foot and the right foot was tangled up in string. Took it to the vet, and yes, you've all guessed it! Long story short: He's a young male cornish cross jumbo broiler with bumblefoot. Today was his last antibiotic shot, and his foot doesn't seem as painful as it was when i picked him up. I have a good sized tortoise pen where i set up a medium dog house inside a large wire dog crate. I put hay in both so he can choose to be in or out of the house, but still can be locked in for the night. During the day i open the cage so he can hang out in the sun and putter around. I've covered the whole thing with a heavy quilt that i can pull closed at night when it's cold. I'm in Texas and the nights just started to get cold. I have fed him 2 cups of food every morning which he doesn't quite finish, and i don't put his food in his cage at night. He likes the rye grass in the pen. NOW! I really need some advice. Firstly, what should i be doing differently? Secondly, what should i be feeding him? My goal is to keep him happy, comfortable, and loved for as long as his body will hold out. The vet said his heart and lungs sound good. He is very good natured, easy going, and chatty. I just love him! Any advice anyone can give me would be so gratefully appreciated!
