Four days ago tragedy hit when my distressed husband came in
and told me that something had gotten a chicken that he only counted six! I
have miscounted before but the huge pile of feathers and a trail that ended
just beyond the coop made my heart sink. I was also shocked because my 150
pound dog was outside at the time. I
went back into the house to get an English muffin so that my remaining girls
would follow me back to the safety of their coop.
As I scanned the girls to see who was missing I heard a
cackle outside the door, it was Marjorie! She was badly injured but I couldn’t
see the extent until I got Jack who was able to get a good look as I held her
and lifted her right wing. Her puncture wounds were so deep we could see bone, we
were sure that she wouldn’t last the night even though she enthusiastic about
the muffin.
We discovered a wound on our dog’s ear and knew that he had
saved her, probably from a raccoon. I never knew when I got chickens that I
would care for them more than the fresh eggs but this is the case. I am
realistic but have discovered that kindness has a force that heals those who
offer it and the recipients who fall under its grace
We dressed her wounds with deep wound meds. But when she
squeezed herself between the wall and a nesting box, I thought it was to die, I
was wrong, it was to protect herself from her sisters who have a rotten health
care plan that basically includes a visit to Dr. Pecktodeath. After returning to the coop in the morning
with a box to carry her away we were surprised to say the least when she was
standing in the middle of the coop alive!
I made her a lean-to so she would feel safe in the coop and
looked for medical advice. It’s hard to find a chicken doctor. After a few
calls to the vet, then to a couple of exotic and wild bird rescues we decided
to do what we could for her here. We have antibiotics in her water and she is
eating. If she weren’t trying so hard to live we would have put her down.
Today I let her dine on rice, yogurt and grapes. I closed
off the coop for a while so she could walk around a little. I let Puppy and
Eenie in because they frantic to start working on their daily egg as I stood
guard over her so she would feel safe. The
day after the attack she laid an egg so I fixed her up a personal nest and she
looks content. It looks like from what I can see no infection, but I didn’t lift
her as she easily tolerated before, probably due to shock.
If she continues to heal and do well we are going to rename
her” Scar Tissue” because an event of this magnitude deserves a new name or
title if you will.
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