I'm new - Hi all BYC Chicken lovers!

[ChickenChaser9]

ChickenChaser9,
Yes she does because of her spraddle leg problem. I get them fixed up and straight but that doesn't last long because as she gains weight, they splay again. I think all chickens are adorable lol The guy at the store where I got this little mystery chick said that they were going to have to "get rid of her" but not in those words...he followed by saying that on top of her deformities "it doesn't help that it's Ugly too"

Awwww, she's not ugly I said! She's beautiful, just in her own way.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder they say. I know that any chicken that can have a chance at a full and happy life deserves it. That goes for Hope as well. If she is getting around fine and laying for you then I don't see the need to cull. If you have the time and energy to keep working with her then I feel that giving her more time to enjoy life is a blessing. I had some thoughts on the naming of your tailless bird. Try em out and see how you like them.

Wonder Hen
Featherina
Lil Red Riding Chicken
Twinkle Toes
Super Hero Sidekick (Sidekick for short)

 

[JaeG]

It's hard to get a good picture because it's always right next to/against me

Just wondering how your little cutie is growing up? I'm sure we'd all love an update.

 

[rita77]

She's (I'm thinking its a girl but not sure

) doing really good! I'm calling her Peanut. Her full name is Peanut Pipsqueak

She's in with the rest of the flock in the coop now. She decided to stay in herself. I was bringing her in and keeping her in the "brooder" cage at night and taking her back out in the morning but one evening I went out to get her and put them in for the night and she was perched in the coop and refused to move. I guess she decided it was time to be a big girl lol She gets picked on but holds her own and refuses to let the bullies push her out. I set up a separate perch for her because Stormy, the Polish hen, always picked on her and tried to get her off the perches that the rest were on. Peanut used it a couple of times but has since put herself back on the perch with the rest. I imagine she's doing that to stand her ground and let Stormy know that she won't take her crap! She scratches around with the flock during the day and every so often when the others are occupied she'll go off on her own and relax. I'm amazed every day at the intelligence that I see in all of them.
My Hope, the Cuckoo Marin hen, is the one that has the leg problem. Her legs were improving when she was younger and smaller but now that she's much bigger, they aren't getting any better so I'm looking for a vet that has experience with chickens to see if surgery is an option to fix them permanently.
Here's a few recent pics of Peanut to show off how much she's grown. (If anyone can confirm that she's a hen or I'm wrong and she's really a he, that would be great!)

 

[JaeG]

Peanut definitely looks like a girl. I'm glad she transitioned into the flock so easily. There must be some 'rumpless' breed in her genetics as I see she is still tailless.

 

[rita77]

Peanut definitely looks like a girl. I'm glad she transitioned into the flock so easily. There must be some 'rumpless' breed in her genetics as I see she is still tailless.

Yes, I've been looking at breed information and pictures online and in books and magazines but I still can't find a breed that I think she fits in. I do think that the missing tail may be a birth defect though because of the other things I see like her crooked toes and the way that she walks and runs. I did see a breed that I think she may be but they have tails. I'm basing my suspicion off of the possibility of the missing tail being a defect. I'm going to try to get a quick video of her cute gallop today. It's adorable! But I've never seen any chicken breed run like she does. I'm also happy that she's such a brave chick and chose on her own to become part of the flock but a little sad because she isn't as attached to me as she was before. She is standoffish towards me in front of the flock. If I take her away from them and she knows they can't see, she lets me cuddle her and she likes being held and rocked like a baby! Because she has a different type of walk, I check her feet and legs often. Right now she has a bit of a limp but I think that it's from the perching arguments.
Thanks for asking for the update! I love showing pics of my flock!