The Story of Lulu - Part One

Last fall, we noticed that two of our chickens were limping.  We were never sure how they became lame and they declined to name names.  We figure that they either jumped down and hurt themselves or got squashed in a corner in a chickie mosh pit.  They seemed to be smaller than the other chickens as well, so we caught them and built them their own pen so they could recuperate.  Lucy and Lulu got extra food and vitamins and they seemed to improve quickly.  Lucy's limp was a lot less pronounced than Lulu's.  When we decided to put them back with the other girls, they seemed to be all right. 

After awhile, we noticed that Lulu spent most of her time alone hiding in the bushes.  One day we notice Lulu hobbling over to get a drink of water when another chicken came over and pecked her and chased her away without allowing her a drink.  We realized that she was the bottom of the pecking order and was not able to get enough food and water because of her injury.  That was when we decided that Lulu couldn't live with the other girls any more.

The small pen we had made for Lucy and Lulu was too isolated for one lone chicken.  So we made her a bed in the garage and allowed her the run of the yard.  This way she could see the other girls but not be abused by them.

Lulu had trouble walking because she couldn't step far enough ahead and as a result would step on her toes and trip.  In this photo you can see her standing which causes her to have trouble lifting her other foot. 

Lulu did not look as healthy as the other girls - her eyes were glassy and her feathers were dull and rough looking.  We gave her extra food and daily vitamins.  For vitamins, we used liquid baby vitamins and gave her a couple of drops daily in an eye dropper.

The cold weather was hard on Lulu so we made her a bed in the corner of the kitchen.  We used old sheets and a clothes basket on its side so she could lay in it and be able to see what was happening around her.

Lulu would still sleep in her box in the garage every night and spend her days in the corner of the kitchen. 

She ate well and was good company.  Lulu liked to be talked to and seemed to answer back.  She was always cooing, trilling and softly clucking.  She loved to be held and cuddled.

Her eyes got brighter and her feathers got soft and smooth.  She was also able to move around a little easier.