Just wanted to update y'all on the Story of BaDoop. So, a little TLC and some Poly-vi-sol in his water and he was able to go back with the flock - we had to keep some buddies with him anyway, because he HATED being alone. Somehow, the leg worked itself out and you'd never know he'd been any different from any of the other birds.
However, despite being a latey, he was the first of our chick roosters to crow, and since we fussed over him every time, he began to crow whenever he wanted attention...I shoulda seen *that* coming, LOL. So he became kind of vocal, to nobody's surprise. He did fine until he discovered sex...
Unfortunately, he got so into it that he raised the ire of the entire rest of the flock, who then spent most of their time beating him up and we had to remove him again (he didn't get hurt by anyone, but it was only a matter of time.) So, after a night of BaDooping and crowing in my son's Degu habitat, we decided to rehome him, because we just couldn't put him down after all that.
Fortunately for us, there's a chicken/quail community where we live. I offered him with a hen, in the hopes that he'll be the type to settle down in a bonded pair, and a family with kids who was thinking of starting a flock adopted him! I feel super-lucky, because even if we culled him, nobody was going to be able to eat him and that would have felt awful all the way around.
Family has been told to keep an eye on the hen's head feathers to see if one hen will work out, and has resources and is willing to go get more hens if it doesn't - but BaDoop spent the last couple of days quietly with GF who didn't seem to mind him, and he didn't go totally crazy like he did with all the girls.
So, just like his life, his story has a weird happy ending. Thanks, all, for walking me through that!
