Happy Mother’s Day to Cloudy

[DotToDot]

One year ago, I was working at a farm, and I noticed a little Buff Orpington hen with an eye so swollen it looked like someone had stuffed a grape into her eye socket. I was worried that the other farmers would just want to kill her and be done with it. After all, why waste time on a sick bird when you could just kill it?
I took the hen and put her in a carrier. I gave her food, water, and bedding, and quickly found some yarrow and plantain for swelling and pain. Once the herbs had been steeped in the sun for two hours, I visited her every two hours to check on her and put some more steeped water on her eye with an eyedropper. I named her Cloudy.
After just a day, the swelling had gone down drastically, but she was exhausted and not eating much. I was worried she wouldn’t make it.

She’s now on her nineteenth day of sitting on a clutch. The eggs have been candled, and as far as I can tell, five out of eight will hatch healthily. Cloudy is blind in one eye, but she hasn’t had any problems, and now has a colored band on her leg so the farmers know that she’s not a normal chicken. I’m so proud of her.

Feel free to post pictures of your broodies/hens and chicks in the comments.

Happy Mother’s Day!
-Dotty

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Wishing Cloudy many good years and a successful hatch of littles!

 

[TwoCrows]

Cloudy sounds like a sweetheart! Keep us posted on her hatch!

 

[DotToDot]

UPDATE:

Four chicks hatched healthily! Unfortunately, there was one who didn’t make it. The chicks (Misty, Gray, Rosy, and Chamomile) are about two days old and are doing great. I might take a few home

 

[TwoCrows]

UPDATE:

Four chicks hatched healthily! Unfortunately, there was one who didn’t make it. The chicks (Misty, Gray, Rosy, and Chamomile) are about two days old and are doing great. I might take a few home

Yes, you NEED to take some home!!

 

[DotToDot]

Second update: Chamomile has been bought by a good friend of mine, and the farm will be keeping the other three, unfortunately. I am at my state’s limit for chickens, apparently!