I’m thinking this isn’t going to turn out okay

[casportpony]

I am amazed! Hope she continues to do well!

Edited to fix horrible typo!

 

[cstephens1987]

The screw may not have had a very large head and may have been almost out already. Skin is quite stretchy and it's very likely it just pulled out the rest of the way. Fingers crossed it heals completely and easily. Wow what a crazy story.

 

[EggWalrus]

So glad she is having a happy ending so far!

 

[hispoptart]

WOW!! I sure hope it fell out, but I'd be worried sick one of the others will find it. Or heaven forbid she finds it again! I'd be going crazy trying to find it.

 

[Fishkeeper]

You could get a strong magnet and try to locate it with that, or with a metal detector.

Edit: the magnet is ONLY for locating it on the ground! Not in the bird. A metal detector could be used on both the ground and the bird, though. Not entirely sure how well it might work on a chicken, but it won't hurt her.

 

[BellaLunaTick]

WOW!! I sure hope it fell out, but I'd be worried sick one of the others will find it. Or heaven forbid she finds it again! I'd be going crazy trying to find it.

This was exactly what I said to my husband today! We'll check the coop with a magnet (we were mounting new nest boxes last week and lost a screw, this is how we found it!), but it's a 16x8 coop, with deep bedding, plus two 20x25 runs, and a half-acre fenced off for ranging, so odds of finding it are super-slim. But yeah, I'm totally paranoid about it now!

 

[BellaLunaTick]

You could get a strong magnet and try to locate it with that, or with a metal detector.

Edit: the magnet is ONLY for locating it on the ground! Not in the bird. A metal detector could be used on both the ground and the bird, though. Not entirely sure how well it might work on a chicken, but it won't hurt her.

ROFL, we have a metal detector, never occurred to me to use it on the bird! I actually might try that to see if the whole screw is gone or if it just broke off!

 

[Eggcessive]

It is probably good that you left it alone to work it’s way out, while the wound was closing itself from the inside out. If you had removed the screw yourself, it may have introduced skin and fecal bacterial into the abdomen, causing peritonitis. This was an amazing story.

 

[Fishkeeper]

Since the wound isn't leaking, it must be sealed. Probably the digestive tract healed over it on the inside, and now the wound is free to close further. I'd be inclined to put an antibiotic ointment on it until it's done healing, but this is a very good sign.

 

[Peppercorngal]

Yipee! Hooray! I am so happy to hear the screw came out.

Your girl is no longer screwed!! Lets hope that screw won't cause any other chicken any grief. This was the perfect outcome! You have made my day!!!