Just had my 1st tradigy (sp?) this evening
I went out to give the chickens some left over lettuce and a few bad tomatos.
I find a chicken stuck in between the 2 chainlink fence panels we had used as divider in the run. A big red blotch on both sides of her.
I thought I was going to pull out a dead chicken.
And to my surprise and horror this Cuckoo Marans Pullet was still alive.
She was pecked bloody and bald on her left side and on her right side was a 2 1/2 x 3 inch round hole about 1 to 2 inches deep.
I could hear her suck air through what was left of her lung.
The poor thing she was so quite while I held her. Her comb was whitish pink very pale she was still dripping a bit of blood. Her plucked feathers were all over that fence area.
It was horror-a-fying
I called DH told him I had a badly wounded chicken and I needed help. He looked at her and checked to see if there was enough skin to try to sew her up with But we decided after all the blood she lost and as deep as it was with part of her lung missing. It was best to end it for her.
DH did it quickly with 1 blow. It was a very very sad thing. Then He went right to the run and removed the chain link panels. Saying that was 1 mistake we will Not make again.
I think she was the one brave little hen that would run out and dodge the older chickens and get on that fence and hop over to the other side and have that side all to herself. Poor little girl. Now I have 10 Marans pullets and 5 cockrells from my hatchery Cuckoo Marans.
Sorry I just had to vent and get that out. I hope I didn't disturb anyone with the Horrable details.