Good morning! Mint is running backwards again, and the pigeons keep going into the chickens’ nest boxes. Is anybody listening? No.
The birds that were in quarantine came out about three days ago and seem to be settling in.
A hen by the roadside
This girl is Marron’s sibling, who grew up in the wild. She lived around my house. One day when I came home, I heard a small cry, looked out the window, and saw her lying by the side of the road. I think she was hit by a car. A woman passing by was picking her up, so I ran out as fast as I could and asked if I could have her and take care of her. She had been planning to take her to the vet, but said that if I could look after her properly, please do.
What happened to her
When I first picked her up, her head kept ticking back and forth like a clock. That’s a sign that she hit her head and has some brain damage — a concussion. One eye is already infected, probably from eyeworm, a parasite that lives in the eye, and she’s blind on that side. I think the car came from her blind side and struck just her head. She has no other injuries or broken bones, so she might make it. Her other eye swelled up too, probably bruising from the blow.
While her eye was bad she couldn’t eat much, so she’s very thin, and she was badly dehydrated. I gave her fluids under the skin so she wouldn’t die of dehydration, and I’m tube feeding her slowly, hoping she’ll recover.
With injuries this bad — and with birds hit by cars — most people, vets included, suggest euthanasia. But chickens are strong and fragile at the same time. Some die from a tiny injury, while others with serious injuries live for more than a week, or even recover. If a bird still wants to live, I think she’ll probably pull through. Birds that have given up often just pass away, no matter how much nourishment you give them. I don’t think this girl has given up.
Tube feeding
I don’t have proper tools, so I use a small dropper attached to a big one. Hold the body, head up — sorry! There’s a place called the crop, where the body stores food. You slide a tube down into the crop, careful not to block the windpipe. It’s the method vets use for chickens that can’t eat on their own. Pen-chan came over to complain. I’m not mad at you, Pen-chan!
It’s still very uncertain, but we’ll keep caring for her. Let’s do our best.
Thank you for watching Chicken Paradise.