Hattie...again!

Hattie seems to be on the lane to recovery.  I say lane rather than road, as road would suggest fast progress.

Her eye is less squinty but still not fully open.  Her eating is returning to normal and she is more active than she was.  All brilliant news!

So today she was allowed out in the garden with the other gals, to catch the last of the Autumnal sun, and that's when I spotted it.

Just look at that wing!

What on earth is it doing dragging along the floor?!!

I have absolutely no idea what she's done to it.  I can't imagine she's broken it, she's been a house chicken pretty much since we've had her.  There's been no scuffles with my other gals.  Gahhh!!!!

Apparently, according to the web, sometimes they can drag a wing for a number of reasons, after a couple of days it returns to normal, so we shall see.
I have secured her wing in 'Vet Wrap'.  Seeing it dragging along the floor, getting in the way didn't seem to be helping her much and if it is broken, it needs to be secured into as near as normal position to aid healing. 
I had to nip out to our local pet shop, they only had a bone design, she'll have to pretend it's her Hallowe'en outfit :)

Trick Or Treat!

It was a little disconcerting for her at first and I quickly discovered that you have to secure both wings, not just one! Leaving one free left her off balance, panicking and falling around the room like she'd been at the apple cider a bit too much.  Fortunately, with both wings wrapped, she soon got the hang of it and has discovered that a poorly gal can take liberties!

Your slippers?

We'll be back to the vets on Monday to get it checked out, I need to go anyway.  The 'Drop-On' mite killer they gave me in a syringe got a bit stuck and I manage to squirt all of the 20mls over Hattie and the sofa instead of 10mls just on Hattie.  

This chicken lark, it ain't always easy!

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Chocolate Chicken!

We have a new arrival!

And there's something different about her compared to my other ladies...

...featherless feet!

She is a Chocolate Orpington bantam, all my other ladies are Pekins.

I have always liked Orpingtons but they are Large Fowl and too humungous for my garden, so I thought I'd take a gamble with a bantam version and see just how bantam she is.  She is already bigger than my largest Pekin!  She's five months old, so I'm unlikely to get any eggs from her until next Spring but I'm looking forward to those brown eggs!

She is currently nameless but an 'old lady' name is mandatory.   In the meantime, she is settling in well :)

P.S We've named her Hattie.  Like Hattie Jacques, she is a buxom brunette!

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