Day 157 – Tub O’ Chicken

Yep, we got us a chicken in the tub again. This time it is Monty… Poor girl. I went out to water this morning, and Clara was picking on her terribly. I gave Clara a good swat and told her to git, and poor Monty could barely stand. Her comb and wattle were quite blue in color, and I could just tell there was something terribly wrong with her. I scooped her up and sat outside with her, wrapping my jacket around her. Poor little girl just sat there, no energy at all and fading fast. Her comb was cold, and her feet were icy. I decided then and there if she wasn’t going to make it she was not gonna pass cold and picked on my Clara.  In the house and into the tub she came. I hooked her up a heat lamp, got her some scratch and water. I was able to coax her to drink water on her own, but she was having nothing to do with the scratch. She just sat there where I put her down, kind of falling to the side. I decided if she was cold, I would fix her some nice warm oatmeal, and I got her to eat some of that. She has been improving all afternoon, and just a bit ago I went in and she was standing and talking to me, her comb is back to the bright red I like to see, though still cold, and her legs and feet are still quite cold. Hopefully she continues to improve and makes it alright. Afraid it will break a little bit of my heart if she doesn’t at this point.

Day 149 – Ministry of Silly Walks

Monty got her name by being the chicken that quite literally does a walk almost exactly identical to that featured in the Monty Python “Ministry of Silly Walks” skit. I have tried in vain to capture a picture of her in full silly stride, but to date have failed to do so. I am not sure if you can tell or not, but her left leg is noticeably smaller than her right one. This was a birth defect, and we have been assured by the previous owner that she was born this way, and her silly walk is through no fault of ours. She has a massive what looks like a wound on her back just above that leg, though she is sprouting new feathers in the area, and seems to be just fine. She is I do believe the smallest of our chickens, and when given the opportunity to free range, she rarely leaves the chicken yard. You guessed it right if you jumped to the conclusion that she has already stolen my heart with her little bitty self, and oh so silly walk. I must admit, however, that we are trying to keep her silly walk from the Ministry, as I am almost one hundred percent positive she has not legally registered it.

Day 147 – Monty

Oh man! What’d I step in? Oh please, please, please don’t let it be dog poo! Them dang canines just go wherever they want, so unlike us civilized chickens!