A couple of weeks ago I came outside to see the most pathetic sight (other than any of the Kardashian shows) these two eyes have ever seen.
There, dragging herself through the chicken run, was Norma. The gimpy chicken. While all the other chickens ran at break beak speed to come and see me, Norma hobble-limped halfway towards me, gave up and then laid down. At which point all of the other chickens sensed a weak member in their flock and attacked her. Just like that they turned on one of their own. Again, not unlike the Kardashians.
I immediately went into medic mode, strapped a flashing red light to my head, screamed out some surprisingly loud siren sounds and made my way to Norma.
The first thing to do in assessing a chicken injury is to LOOK.
So I gently picked Norma up and gave her a thorough once over. I looked for broken bones sticking out, wounds and thorns. She looked fine. But it's hard to see through all of those feathers. The next thing I did was flip her over and take a look at the bottom of her feet. I was checking for Bumblefoot (a potentially deadly infection on the underside of a chicken's foot). No Bumblefoot.
The second thing to do is feel for warmth.
Like with other animals an easy way to check for pain or infection is the gently feel around the body parts. An injured area will often feel warmer than the rest of the body. No such luck with Norma.
The third thing to do is start guessing and eliminating.
The one thing it could possibly be was a case of Norma being egg bound. I wasn't convinced this was the case because it really looked like a sore foot or leg, but I wanted to be able to rule out the possibility of her being egg bound (also life threatening).
So I did what you're supposed to do to make her feel better. I put her in a bath and got ready to stick my finger up her bum. No idea if this applies to the Kardashians as well. I suspect it does.
Norma was incredibly cooperative.
I sat her in the kitchen sink filled with warm water and went about my business in the kitchen. She didn't seem to have any desire to move. She just sat there quietly, waiting for me to get her out.
The kitchen was a bit cool and Norma was wet, so I wrapped her in a towel which made her warm, dried her off a bit and had the added bonus of making her look like a superhero.
Aftercare involves keeping the patient quiet and allowing them to rest.
Once the patient is able to eat and poop, they can be discharged.
I took her outside and gently put my finger in her bum. I was carefully checking to feel if there was an egg stuck in there. I didn't take pictures of that. I tried. But it's kindda awkward to hold a camera, a chicken and a suppository. Just kidding about the suppository. It was my actual finger that went up her bum. This is why as a chicken owner you should a) be brave and b) own an entire box of surgical gloves.
If you're desperate to see a chicken bum, which is also called the vent, you can see one here.
Norma was relaxed, there didn't seem to be an egg stuck in her and I was back to square one. There were two possibilities. She could have had a stroke. Or ... she could have just jumped off the roost a bit wonky and twisted something.
If a chicken has an injury that's causing them pain the easiest and most effective thing you can give them is ½ a baby aspirin.
So that's what Norma got. One half of a baby aspirin. If the limp went away that would let me know it was just a twisted ankle or pulled muscle. If it didn't help it could mean it was a stroke.
This is all random guessing of course, but that's what you do in these sorts of situations. Hell. It's what your doctor who went to a real medical school and everything does.
I held out the aspirin in the palm of my hand and she gobbled it up right away. I kept her away from the other chickens so she wouldn't be tormented and came back an hour later to check on her.
This is how she looked.
No limp. Or very little limp. So I knew that the injury was probably a muscle or inflammation issue, not a stroke. It isn't always great to mask the pain on an animal because as far as they're concerned as soon as the pain goes away, it's hokey pokey time. A free for all of running, jumping and playing hopscotch. They don't know the pill is masking the pain and they still have an injury they need to be gentle with. The simple truth is they just aren't smart enough (insert your own Kardashian joke here).
So with animals you have to use a bit common sense. If I left Norma with her limp she'd be more careful with her injury ... but only for the next 16 hours or so, until the other chickens devoured her alive.
Chickens can spot weakness faster than a schoolyard bully looking for lunch money. And they can take down your average 9 year old quicker.
So that's why I opted to give Norma half an aspirin until her leg healed. The injury lasted for about 5 days so I prescribed ½ a baby aspirin every morning.
And now you're going to think I'm weird. A loon. A bit of a softie. Since I helped Norma I've noticed she's become much friendlier with me. She's no Cuddles, but she lets me pick her up and look her over without a single squawk. Once she even asked me how my day was.
I told her it was O.K. I mean, I couldn't keep up with the Kardashians. But who can?
Karen Duke
My chickens will one day be happy that you tutored me on diagnosis and treatment. THANK YOU!
mimiindublin
2nd last photo...I don't see poop.
You sure she was ready for discharge?
marilyn
looks like a mutual admiration society..so sweet!
Laura Bee
Animals just know. Glad Norma is well again.
We had to do a tooth snip on a hamster I "rescued" (The girl's aunt said she wasn't giving it the attention it needed) Obviously not - his tooth was grown right around ...and I'll stop there. Anywats, he just laid in hubby's hand while I snipped.. never want to do that again.
DzynByJules
Glad Norma is doing better and hope you are doing OK too!!! I just love your sense of humor! Thanks for all the giggles, much better entertainment than "reality" TV!!!
Jules
Adele
she is lovely, I can't imagine one of my mad chickens sitting quietly in the sink like that!
Jenny
The things we do for our pets....
I drove over 80mph with my dog shaking and foaming, convinced he was going to die.
Turns out he just needed his anal glands expressed.
Apparently they weren't being very articulate.
Shirley
Good one, Jenny! ;)
Bad owner
The time I took my dog to vet convinced she had a spinal injury. She ate weed. V mad at myself. She recovered btw
caroline
So funny, and so sweet at the same time i always love reading your posts about the chickens,
lucky for Norma you did know to give her baby aspirin, i never heard that before but it's good to know for when my chickens ever need it.
maybe then they will ask me how my day was :)
Jo
Thanks for yet another heart warming chicken story. It's made my day :)
Julia
I live in horror of one of the chickens you made me get 'coming down' with something...
Gertie had a sort of a cough thing a month ago and I spent a good while researching chicken respiratory diseases, until I decided to just leave her alone for a day or two (handy advice as she is the one hen I can't catch and you cannot buy antibiotics online in the UK).
Thankfully my treatment worked and her cough is cured!!
I am bit gutted I haven't had to stick my finger up any bottoms yet...
Julia
Oh, and I forgot to say it's so lovely to see you back again. How rude (but you know what us English are like with our emotions)
x
Karen
Indeed. ;) - karen
Auriel
I brought home 3 chicks, 2 now are limping then hopping. I checked them out and they both had cuts encircling their mid legs like something had been there and as they grew it imbedded itself inside their left legs. I cut off the bands that were around their feet when I got them. What else could it be and what should I do? The 3rd chick doesn't have anything like that on her leg.
Linda
You are a dead set Crack Up!!!
Thanks for the giggles! x
Kathe
You're a good chicken mom
Kat
Well I'll be damned that was seriously one interesting post. I kinda panicked there for a bit after watching your chickens on the web cam I didn't want to see anything bad happen to any of them. "Chicken Vet"... one more for your resume LOL!
Denise Leavens
I've had a chicken in a bath in my kitchen sink before, too! It sat there quietly until I was ready to take it out. It didn't have any feathers. Or, come to think of it, a head. It was no super chicken either, so I didn't even think of wrapping it in a towel.
I don't think a towel would help any one of the Kardashians to look like a superhero. But a warm bath and no head might be an improvement.
Karen
LOL! ~ karen
Sue T.
OMG Denise...that's a riot and I totally agree with you !!!! No interest at all in any of the Kardashians (ugh).
Pati
LOLOLOL !!!! That's hilarious Denise but you make a very valid point !!
Bonnie
Your Horrible!!!! How could u say that when they are just so adorable! I'm vegetarian so at least I know what is better! I have pet chickens and i would rather die than kill them!!!!
Marilyn Griffiths
Good on you, I haven't had chicken to eat in my house since I have had them. They are gorgeous wee girls, I love them and their sweet little personalities.
mia pratt
That's more than I ever imagined I'd know about chickens...which is timely because I'm having these icky feelings when I go to eat things that were once alive...not like carrots are alive, but like cows and chickens were once alive. Just out of the blue, these feelings. Actually I saw a photo on facebook or somewhere of a little girl with her cow asleep with his head in her lap, and they were both asleep - and I think that did it. And now with your nursing a chicken, and even putting your finger up her bum to deliver a breech egg if that were the case...well...I'm just going to have to see how it goes from here. I'm not a big tofu fan. And I will have to finish that giant package of corned beef I still have in the fridge. But I just don't know if I can keep eating Cuddles and Normas and Elsies any more. Maybe this, too, shall pass?
Molly
You aren't alone! There are so many tasty foods out there that make me too sad to eat them. Knowing that the individual had a good, natural life and a quick death helps. But Norma? or Cuddles?! I could never do it. I take it as a creative challenge to make delicious food that I can feel good about. Good luck to you :)
KiwiKat
My cousin had a chicken called Mrs Flop-bottom - she used to get egg-bound all the time...not pleasant! Glad it was a relatively easy fix for you both!
Therese
I've given my chickens baths at various times of illness too. They are pretty much calm and accepting, so I guess they really are ill and the warm bath relaxes them. If you've ever tried bathing a perfectly well chicken it goes somewhat differently, and there is a lot of noise and splashing. One way to tell if your chicken really is ill or faking it! Thanks for the baby aspirin tip.
Bonnie Cramond
I took my hen with a broken leg to a vet. They put a cast on, but when they took the cast off, she kept holding her leg out like the cast was still on. So, I gave her physical therapy--holding her legs and "helping" her walk across the deck every day. You would have thought I was doing something weird the way people reacted!
Shauna
That's hilarious Bonnie! I am picturing a silly little hen walking with its leg out. Good they're cute, because they're just so dumb:)
Chris
Norma is lucky to have you. ;)
christine
We're lucky to have you.Wanna go out with my brother? I like cheese.
Sue T.
If I were a chicken I'd want Karen to be my Mom too!!!
lori jones
ME TOO!!!!
Laura
It's funny how pets love and hate grooming.
Bob
My family have a bbq and all the hens roost on it (it's quite a funny sight) but one hen, called mimi isn't as certain as the others at jumping off as her previous owners did a horrible job of hacking away at her wings, I am sure she has landed funny, thanks for the advice, we are trying it now!
;D
Karen
Good luck Bob! (and Mimi) ~ karen!
Brenda Ellis
I have a limping hen. I have been ill so not spending as much time as usual with the gals. She is very thin her breast bone is sharp. However she is eating. I put her in the eglu at night so she does not have to struggle up the ladder. She comes down on her own in morning. But I wonder as she is wobbly did she fall down and hurt her foot. I thought she may be terminal but she is eating drinking. She hangs out with her little friend and she sits on a compost bag in the greenhouse unless the sun comes out. The other gals have not attacked her at all. They have been very good considering she is bottom of pecking order.