Matilda is going to lose her feet. :(

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

The following has nothing to do with Matilda's feet per se, but it does surely mean her body is healing. I have forgotten to mention it, but Matilda has resumed laying! Shes laid a dozen or so eggs during the past few weeks. Thats a Lot for a 5+ year old often broody hen that never laid all that well in the first place. And the eggs have seemed to come in "clutches." For example, she laid an egg this past monday and tuesday, nothing yesterday, then another this morn. Hmmm maybe shes been trying to tell me she would like a nice dark cozy place and for me to quit taking her eggs?! Well if thats the case im gonna try to hold her off a while longer. Hopefully for the rest of this year!

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

She's healing very well! If you decide to wrap the left stump, I'd suggest fluffing some cotton balls and wrapping them over the stump. It should provide some cushion for her so the inflammation gets a chance to go down.

Tu i will protect with cotton balls and see if the redness subsides. Also, @Chicalina recommended continuing aspirin for possible pain. I dont think she is in pain as of now, but was wondering if aspirin would be good for the inflammation? I havent resumed aspirin thus far because i didnt want to risk any bleeding from the healing wounds.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Make sure to put neosporin or such on the cotton so it does not adhere to the wound as we can call it now

Hmm do u mean Dont put neosporin on the inflamed part so the cotton doesnt adhere? I Have in fact continued to coat the reddened part with vetericyn and neosporin. But the left stump has no open wound any more, so im thinking pad the Dry stump with cotton balls, then wrap with vet wrap? Thanks for your help everybody, sure does leave me a lot less to try and figure out!

 

[pennyJo1960]

Hmm do u mean Dont put neosporin on the inflamed part so the cotton doesnt adhere? I Have in fact continued to coat the reddened part with vetericyn and neosporin. But the left stump has no open wound any more, so im thinking pad the Dry stump with cotton balls, then wrap with vet wrap? Thanks for your help everybody, sure does leave me a lot less to try and figure out!

Use it anywhere you have cotton put it that way just make it so cotton does not stick

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Use it anywhere you have cotton put it that way just make it so cotton does not stick

Ok got it.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Have to say it it is wonderful how you ask till you get it

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Matilda just now laid another egg. What the heck?! Thats 4 eggs in 5 days from a 5+ year old hen! So maybe she Has been telling me lately she would like a nice, dark, quiet, cozy place, and for me to quit taking her eggs! (I took today's egg same as before but gave it back to her). Ok ok i will see what i can do. If Matilda wants to hatch chicks i'll help her. Now see, this is how ive ended up with so many chickens. I do my best to break the broodys, but in the end my resolve weakens. And they suceed in breaking me!

 

[pennyJo1960]

Her eggs are not fertile .. right? easiest might be let her sit on some fertile eggs not hers or buy a couple peeps at teh feed store let her raise them

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

No her eggs are definitely not fertile, & thats one big reason i intend to supervise her closely when she is outside. Because there's plenty of willing roos to fertilize her eggs, and she is helpless to resist.

Ive actually previously put some thought into this. Mainly, realized it will be quite difficult for her to maneuver in and out of a nest box on stumps, without risk of crushing her eggs. Furthermore, Matilda was one of my few broodys that did Not accept feed store chicks, even tho she is a great mom with chicks she hatches herself.

So first of all, im gonna get her out of her laundry basket coop & into a plastic pet crate, which is what i use for nestboxes for all laying hens. Will give her a few eggs & see if her broody hormones are truly kicking in. (Shes awfully calm and quiet today on the one egg she got to keep). If shes really broody, im gonna let another broody's) outside start incubating eggs. (No shortage there either; ive so far this year alone sent 35 hens and pullets to broody jail, & believe there are another 6-7 that will be going clucky any day.) So i will probably choose 2 broodies and give them fertile eggs to incubate. Meanwhile will give Matilda a few eggs too. If she accidently breaks them thats ok; i will keep replacing to keep her on eggs for 21 days. When the other 2 broody's eggs are a day or two away from hatching, Then i will put 4-5 of Those eggs under Matilda. And take extreme care she doesnt break the shells in the 1-2 days it takes the chicks to hatch.

So thats my plan. Matilda has gone broody 2-3 times every single year since she turned 6 months old. In fact, Ive always joked that when she turned six months old, she laid 6 eggs, then promptly hatched them! She hatched chicks twice last year, in April and October 2020. I've known the best sign that she has overcome her injuries and loss is if she goes broody again. Since her right foot is still healing, 3 more weeks should allow plenty of time to complete the healing process. We shall see!

 

[pennyJo1960]

Well then you do have a handle on it I will just wait and see how she does .. Should she be broody it does say she is healing better than we knew