I can see her heart!?

[FluffyButtBabies]

I loved that "broken heart" bit.

 

[Ihavesomechickens]

I loved that "broken heart" bit.

Well it would be a broken heart for both of you. A real broken heart for her, and a sadness for you.

 

[coach723]

I don't want to be a debbie downer, but I had a chick that you could feel the heartbeat quite strongly in that area. You couldn't see it like on yours, but it definitely did not feel 'normal'. She was smaller, quieter, slower than the others. She did feather out normally. But at approximately 6 months old suddenly died. She never laid and I found no signs that she would have on necropsy. She had an enormously enlarged heart. Her entire chest cavity was heart, it was as big as my fist, no exaggeration. I've no idea how she lived as long as she did. I'm only telling you this so you are prepared if the worst happens. Enjoy her while you have her, and hopefully she will do OK.

 

[FluffyButtBabies]

I know that she will probably have a shortened life. As she grows, so will her heart. But since there is no room really for it, she probably won't make it. But I'm going to keep her alive for as long as I can, and give her a very spoiled and comfy life! Hopefully she'll live for as long as possible, but I just think it's super lucky that I get to have such a strong chicken!

 

[LateBirdFarms]

What a little trooper! I am absolutely fascinated with the idea of a chicken breastplate, like some of the ones you see on avian flight harnesses just stiffer. I think I would spend a bit of time fiddling around with a semi- ridged design if she were mine, I'd be paranoid about her bumping into something and it might give her a chance to socialize with any less aggressive birds without too much cause for concern with proper integration and supervision. Whatever you decide is best for her, I for one would love to hear some updates in the future! Best of luck with her!

 

[FluffyButtBabies]

Thank you! We decided that we're just going to let her roam around the coop with the other chicks. They're all sweet little bantam hens, and there hasn't been any problem so far! The funny thing is, it's almost as if she's aware that she has a delicate chest. When things do start getting a bit rough, she'll actually sprint over to a quiet corner of the coop and hide her front against the wall. It looks as if she's actually shielding herself! When she was a younger (like I mentioned before) she suddenly got very weak and had difficulty breathing after a few days of being healthy. It's possible that happened because another chick nailed her in the chest and she took a while to recover. That's probably why she's so self-aware. Does that makes sense?

 

[LateBirdFarms]

Makes perfect sense! Chickens are a heck of a lot smarter than they get credit for! (There are always exceptions to the rule! )