Miss Peggy has one leg now... Woo Hoo pix added see # 42

[perchie.girl]

I have a one legged Guinea Hen recuperating in a hospital cage in the coop. She is healing from a raccoon attack. So far shes eating and drinking well and beginning to do pushups with her one leg. It will take her a while to be able to stand because this only happened about five days ago. The coon took her leg all the way up to the hip. Any way shes a youngster still with stripies on her head her cheeks are flesh colored but she is beginning to get her white skin.

She is going to get very lonely when the others start going out into the run. I have her isolated now because her coop mates tend to trample her. They are soo sweet to her though through the bars of the cage.... I was wondering if i were to get a silkey as a companion would that be a good choice. Someone she could hang with and who wouldnt bowl her over as she swims about the coop. Shes using her wings like crutches its sort of like watching a bird swim.

Any other sweet chickens that would be a good choice for a one legged Guinea as a companion?

or other thoughts?

deb

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

My Silkies are very pushy, not very gentle birds.

 

[mick&cori]

perchie.girl :

I have a one legged Guinea Hen recuperating in a hospital cage in the coop. She is healing from a raccoon attack. So far shes eating and drinking well and beginning to do pushups with her one leg. It will take her a while to be able to stand because this only happened about five days ago. The coon took her leg all the way up to the hip. Any way shes a youngster still with stripies on her head her cheeks are flesh colored but she is beginning to get her white skin.

She is going to get very lonely when the others start going out into the run. I have her isolated now because her coop mates tend to trample her. They are soo sweet to her though through the bars of the cage.... I was wondering if i were to get a silkey as a companion would that be a good choice. Someone she could hang with and who wouldnt bowl her over as she swims about the coop. Shes using her wings like crutches its sort of like watching a bird swim.

Any other sweet chickens that would be a good choice for a one legged Guinea as a companion?

or other thoughts?

deb

I HATE RACOONS!!!

I was thinking you could HATCH (yes, Peeps, I said the *H* word!!) some keets and raise them with her??? Then maybe they would get used to her and not run her over... another thought (but not better

) would be.. maybe one of those little bantam chickens? They are pretty small, so shouldn't be able to do much damage. I've read that they are flaky and hyper though.... I'm at a loss.​

 

[perchie.girl]

mick&cori :

perchie.girl :

I have a one legged Guinea Hen recuperating in a hospital cage in the coop. She is healing from a raccoon attack. So far shes eating and drinking well and beginning to do pushups with her one leg. It will take her a while to be able to stand because this only happened about five days ago. The coon took her leg all the way up to the hip. Any way shes a youngster still with stripies on her head her cheeks are flesh colored but she is beginning to get her white skin.

She is going to get very lonely when the others start going out into the run. I have her isolated now because her coop mates tend to trample her. They are soo sweet to her though through the bars of the cage.... I was wondering if i were to get a silkey as a companion would that be a good choice. Someone she could hang with and who wouldnt bowl her over as she swims about the coop. Shes using her wings like crutches its sort of like watching a bird swim.

Any other sweet chickens that would be a good choice for a one legged Guinea as a companion?

or other thoughts?

deb

I HATE RACOONS!!!

I was thinking you could HATCH (yes, Peeps, I said the *H* word!!) some keets and raise them with her??? Then maybe they would get used to her and not run her over... another thought (but not better

) would be.. maybe one of those little bantam chickens? They are pretty small, so shouldn't be able to do much damage. I've read that they are flaky and hyper though.... I'm at a loss.​

Yep I stated with 40 but lost ten older almost adults in one night. Thinking it was coyotes i reinforced accordingly. Then because I had the base reinforced or so I thought because I didn't see any digging I reinforced the top thinking racoon or some sort of cat. We have bobcat. By now I am down to 26. All went well for a while and Boom I am down to nine.

I stripped the coop and found that the chainlink on one whole edge of one of the dog panels simply wasn't fastened to the panel.

So I moved a whole 4 foot by six foot aviary panel into the coop and zip tied that to the chainlink and the tubing. So a few more days go by and every one is happy and starting to BuckWheat again. So I figure I should move at least one of their perches from saw horse height to about five and a half feet up. That involves lacing a two by three across the six foot span of the coop. Those two by threes fit perfectly through the chainlink and secure solidly when turned flat so the birds can walk. That was my last mistake. The board sticks out of the chainlink about a foot on each side. The raccoon must have got her at night on the roost and pulled her leg off through the chainlink.... So my fault.... not thinking.

Actually the bantams I have had were fairly sweet. I suspect once she can stand she will be able to stand up for herself in a pecking fight. I just don't want something that will push her over to get to the food. I probably need something thats partially grown but still a chick at heart. that can get away from her if she pecks at it but will not have a flock status where it would push back.

So I am guessing here.... something that will finish out about the same size as she is. younger or even maybe very much older than her.... hmmm...

Or am I missing what may be an obvious solution. Can she be let back into the flock? I am thinking no... but if I made sure there were no corners for anyone to be cornered in and made sure she had someone with her when it was free range time...?​

 

[melroseladi]

My 2 silkies aren't mean but they don't back down from anything no matter how big and they can be pushy. I have a mixed flock of hens and they are all mean, not to humans but to each other, so I wouldn't even know what breed to suggest as a friend for her.

What I did with my roost that sticks out through the chainlink is put a rectangle of hardware cloth on the outside of the chainlink so nothing could reach through. I also saw a post on BYC and they put hooks on the end of the roosts, big hooks like you would use to hang a bike on in a garage, then they just put the hooks over the chainlink so the roost does not stick through. Doing that and adding a piece of hardware cloth, or small hole cage wire, would keep those nasty coons from reaching through while they are sleeping.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Not backing down is a good thing. I dont mind that I just dont want them to bully her. Shes still got a guinea mind so shes going to have a very sharp beak. But I was thinking silkey because they dont fly much do they?

When I had just the aviaries I would have the wood cut to six foot then put two eye bolts in each end. They fit through the wire and can be turned ninety degrees to lock the perch in place. I could do something similar. with the Kennel panels Good idea. Then I can safety wire them on so when the birds get rambunctious they cant knock the perches off. This would allow me to get wider perches for them too.

Yep I should have put a barrier up.... Right now the perches stay on the saw horses till I get chainlink swapped with the Aviary wire.

 

[stoopid]

Depending on how trusting she is of you, I have seen birds with prosthetic legs, depending on what is left of the leg. You may be able to slip something over the stump that she can balance on.
Would take a while to get a good fit, If she doesn't fuss too much, she may actually understand that you are trying to help her.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
I dont even feel a thigh bone in there. I was thinking of doing a walker of some sort. something that will get her up off the ground and yet will allow her to push her self along and scratch a little.... But she has to heal first. I have seen video of hens and even Guineas with one leg and they seem to get around pretty good. I am planning on a "special needs" space for her in the poultry house.

 

[PeepsCA]

Oh wow, down to 9? Including Miss Peggy?

More carnage and loss for you to deal with, ugh

I'm sorry Deb, this is not at all going like you had hoped, I feel really bad for you.

Can you set up some electric fencing to keep the predators off of and away from the covered run? How about running a radio and a a red light out there on a timer from sundown to sun up? I've heard, but I haven't tried it and proven it yet, but hanging bars of soap on the wire can help deter predators (put them where the Guineas can't eat them tho, lol). As ingenious, resourceful and creative as you are I know you'll eventually have Fort Guinea Knox locked down and buttoned up, but it's definitely no fun in the meantime for you.

I don't have any suggestions for a companion bird for Miss Peggy. A mirror for now should help a little. That's amazing she lost that much of her leg and still made it. Seems like loss of blood or infection would have taken her, if not just the shock of the attack. Resilient little bird there. She and the rest of them are almost 11 weeks old now, so she's pretty good sized and she may figure out how to get around on one leg all on her own but may need frequent "physical therapy sessions" to help her establish her balance. If she gets up and around and all healed up she'll probably be ok with the rest of the flock, IF they accept her back in.

I'm sorry you are having such a hard time with your Guinea situation, wish I could help...

 

[jcatblum]

Wow perchie you have had a rough go around! I know you want to do all you can to save the girl! I am asuming within time she will become very tame & actually enjoy your company.

A Cochin might work as a coop mate. Mine have always seemed pretty slow & easy going. I defiantly wouldn't put her with any guineas anytime soon. Guineas are way to flighty & unpredictable!

As I nursed my most recent girl she really enjoyed cooked eggs & fresh grasshoppers. I took the legs off the hoppers so they wouldn't jump out her cage. Good luck with your injured lady.