I think I posted that chicken number one, Ginny, died a few weeks ago. Chicken number two, Charlotte, is still hanging on. She has been an invalid for two weeks now. For about a week all she could do was lie on her left side with her wing sticking out from under her body. She still has the ability to move her legs, so when she scrambled around the ground, she was tearing her shoulder area with her claws. I tried rigging up a sling for her to sit in, but I didn't get the hole in the back placed properly and she was pooping on herself. I then tried using the sling to wrap her up, but it got too hot and I thought she was simply too uncomfortable. My latest idea was to use strips of cloth to fashion little wraps for her feet. I wrapped the cloth around each foot and secured it with a piece of string to keep her claws from scratching her wing. This has seemed to work and her shoulder is healing nicely.
Saturday, however, Jeremy and I were standing outside watching her sleep in the grass. (I had brought her outside for a change of scenery and a chance at bug catching.) He mentioned that she didn't look too well and I told him I was debating which method of putting her down would be the most humane. I took her back into her stall and set her near her food and water and left. A few hours later when I peeked in at her, she was resting on her stomach with her feet underneath her, just like a normal chicken! She's been that way ever since. I don't know what happened. I had prayed just that morning that God would send me a clear sign about whether to put her down or keep nursing her. I'm hoping this was the answer to my prayer and not just a coincidence.
