Sleeping Chicken.

Update on our clinic chicken.

Last night we moved her cage up onto the porch in the off chance that Ash would show and be tempted to take a good peak inside of her cage while she slept. Although I trust Ash NOT to get into our hen house, I did not want to tempt him or her with sitting duck, er, I mean chicken.  The cage is assembled by me, and that means its not a perfect design. Lots of wires poking out that could cut you, or a fox taking a whiff. So we put her up on the porch last night and shut the gate.  If Ash was any bit tempted by that he could have easily jumped up onto the gate and waltzed right on it to get her.  This he did not do. He instead ate his hotdogs and could have cared less about the "bait." Thus proving that foxes really don't want to work for food. Especially when the food is around the same size as them.  If you have a suspicion that a fox has been getting into your hen house, I can bet you money that you are wrong. Unless you are leaving the door wide open for a fox to get it, it is probably another animal.

So upon checking on the hen this morning I was concerned to see that she was still swollen, still lethargic, and still sad looking.

Last night she did get up and walk around her cage. She ate some mash with yogurt, and scratched around for corn. ( All great chicken like behaviors) Before "bedtime," she even jumped up onto the hen box to roost.  This made me feel better that she would mend quickly. But this morning she doesn't want to be bothered.  She sleeping comfortably and tucking her head into her wing. (which I'm sure is helping her eye to rest. Staying out of the sun and the wind today and just resting.....what do you do when you have a cold?)

I did the bad thing of googling chicken info again this morning, not be able to help myself, and was mortified at all the "suggestions," as to what a chicken with a swollen eye could be. No where is there a simple answer, (and maybe the answer is not simple) but abounding is the suggestions that your chicken might be planning on taking over the world, and or, transforming into a alien beast that will shave your head while you sleep.   I was, however, happy to find one organic site that suggested giving the chicken a baby aspirin to help with any pain the hen might have and let her alone. Chickens treated with antibiotics are of no help to future flocks. No resistance is passed on to certain cold or bacterias. Back in my great grandfathers day when he had a flock of 2000 (yes 2000) do you think he treated them with antibiotics? Prob not. If a chicken was sick it was probably culled.  This Snow White is not going to do that, but instead I will do my best to treat an organic being organically. Can I use eye cream on her? Yes. Can I give her a baby aspirin? Sure. Will I give her a dosage of antibiotic and hand it out to the rest of the flock just so that no one including the bees even let out one sneeze? No.

I will save you from a "today's society and the need for a pill that cures all common ailments rant."

I'm not smart enough to defend myself anyways.


Here's hoping ( and praying ((yes, All creatures of our God and King!)) to a healthier chicken