Thursday, September 05, 2013

Lucky Penny, Indeed

A month ago our dear Penny was not well. Her entire abdomen was swollen, and tight. Her wings were dropped by her sides. She would not move, hardly ate. I remembered HenCam's spa treatment and gave Penny an epsom salt bath and blow dry. She seemed to appreciate both. Back in the run, I fenced off her own yard, where she would not be harassed or pecked. And by then, I was fairly certain we were seeing her last days. A chicken can succumb to all kinds of ailments, many of which cannot be diagnosed...even if you want to spend a lot of money and worry over it.

I made her as comfortable as possible. I checked her frequently. She only seemed slower, lower, worse. But she hung in there. Finally, Little Debbie would have no more of Penny's isolation booth... she kept finding a way in, and stood by Penny in a gentle, uncharacteristically tender fashion. After a week with a hen looking everyday closer to death's door, I was cautiously speculating... was Penny pulling through? I let her out of confinement. She was no longer swollen and distended. She was tinier than ever. She couldn't jump even three inches off the ground, so her roosting days seemed behind her. It was sad watching her try to get herself up there.

I stopped my constant vigil. School was starting, there were twelve other chickens vying for my attention, and Penny seemed to be just a fortunate girl, spared an untimely passing. But it's been a month, and she's back on the roost. She's laid two eggs... the only we've had from any of our girls since late June. She's the smallest chica, even smaller than the Chiquitas. Small, but determined not to be stay at the bottom of the pecking order. She's just as bossy and bullying as Kamen, Little Debbie and Shebot.

She really is a plucky little hen, a very lucky Penny. And I feel pretty lucky, too.

3 comments:

Nancy said...

Yeah!! I've been wondering about her!! Good to hear!!

Janece said...

I'm so happy that sweet Penny is doing well! *happy sigh*

nikkipolani said...

That is one plucky Penny. I hope she recovers well!