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I don’t know what it has been lately, but I seem to have run into a rash of chicken health issues.  First, I find a gross chunky thing EMBEDDED in Rita’s waddle.  Truly, I couldn’t figure out if it was a dead tick, a pock of some sort, or a rock.  I had to remove it with tweezers, which was gross, gross, gross.  Even though I have good motor skills for small work and still hands, I could never quite be a surgeon because I am still sort of squeamish.  The yuck factor was high on this job.  It sort of looked like petrified chicken crap, but the skin had grown around it leaving a pinky sized hole when I removed the object.  I smeared bag balm all over the wound and let the poor terrified bird go.  (Hilariously, this is exactly how I treat wounds in my own children).

Next I thought I would inspect all the chickens to see if any others had weirdo growths.  That was when I noticed that Rosey’s left leg was swollen and gross looking.

The chicken health handbook was full of dire warnings of possible disease– e coli infections, infectious bird flu, skin scales that would never really go away, lameness that would bring certain death to the entire flock.  I couldn’t figure out which one of the awful things it could be, or if it is just an inflammation of the joint from an injury that will heal in time.  The Poultry Farmer book from my grandfather was no help.  That is aimed at an entire farm of poultry, so you can imagine what it has to say about anything involving injury—cull the bird!  (That is just a nice way of saying “kill her before you have to find out what is actually wrong”).  The chicken looked and acted fine, so there was to be no culling here.  I sat with her and soaked her leg in salt water.  It seemed dumb, but made me feel like I was doing something.  I also looked for signs of bumblefoot.  Didn’t see any, but I also couldn’t find anything that said if the chicken could have swelling with no outward signs of trauma.  (If you know, please comment).  My conclusion is that she has a swollen joint because of an injury.  We have somewhat high roosts and the silly girls barrel off those at high speed when they think we’re bringing snacks.  She could have gotten hurt jumping down.  We’ll be watching her to see if she worsens.

I hope everyone is well and free of gross disease in your world.

In: Chickens Are Super Fabulous | | #