Hiya all! I just thought I'de post the wonderful story of my wonderful chicken, Butterfly! It's written like it's for kids, but I think adults will enjoy it too--It's a true story!
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Butterfly the Pet & the Butterfly Net
Butterfly is a chicken.
Butterfly likes to play with her friends.
But one day, Butterfly caught a disease. The disease was bad. It paralyzed both her legs so she couldn't walk.
I took her inside where she couldn't pass her sickness to the other chickens. When she didn't get better after a day or two, I took her to the vet.
The vet said that Butterfly had a bacterial infection with symptoms similar to Marek's Disease. He gave us antibiotics to heal her, but her chances were looking slim.
Butterfly wouldn't eat. She wouldn't drink. We had to hand-feed her her special food—Strawberry-flavored Liquid Nutrition—and we had to wash her.
Butterfly showed small signs of recovery—she seemed to gain energy, and she began to eat by herself when we added yummy vegetable broth to her food. Magical Strawberry Liquid-Nutrition!
Ten days passed, and the antibiotics ended. Butterfly was much better: We didn't have to add the veggie broth, and she could feel and slightly move one of her legs. Her other leg, however, was still stuck straight out and rigid.
As time went on, Butterfly stayed like that. The cold spring days turned warmer, and she began to go sit out on the grass. The grass is good for her. It gives her traction so she can more easily use her good leg.
Her good leg turned into a fully movable leg, and Butterfly was soon sitting almost like a normal chicken should—all except her paralyzed leg sticking out at the front. Because of this, Butterfly couldn't see her friends. They would be very rude about her walking disabilities.
With her good leg perfectly wonderful, I, Butterfly's caretaker, had an idea. What if Butterfly just needed a little extra support to walk? What if she could, she just needed help?
I attempted to make a sort of hammock with leg holes out of fleece. Fleece was too hot, and too stretchy. I tried to make a gurney with thin cardboard—that proved to be too sharp and rigid.
Then, oh, then!—Mother had a wonderful idea—we could suspend the hammock/gurney with rope, and attach it to a zip-line. This way Butterfly could move herself along with her good leg!
We needed a fabric that wasn't stretchy, that wasn't hot... I went to my local store and bought a butterfly net.
With just a few adaptations, Butterfly fits perfectly in the Butterfly net.
Now she can stand on one leg without collapsing! Now she can move herself and get the exercise she needs!
When her leg muscles are built to their previous wonderment, she will be zipping along the zip-line—and beyond! Soon she will be back with her friends.
UPDATES
6/9/13 AM: Butterfly was attacked by a hawk! I had to scare it away just as it was about to fly away with her in its claws—freaky!! So, a note: Don't leave immobile chickens out in the open. She wasn't in the net when it happened, just taking a break in the grass, but still... When she goes out in the Butterfly net today, I'll be putting something over her to cover her—maybe I could suspend an umbrella or something? Maybe she's ready to go in the run with the others! I'll figure it out.
6/9/13 PM: Butterfly is now in with the other chickens! Yay! I attached a rope to one of the beams going across the top of the run, and the Butterfly net hangs from it. So far they haven't been too rude to her—just a few pecks here and there (of course I freak out whenever they do that
). A little while ago all six of them were eating at once, Butterfly included! Yay!!
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Butterfly the Pet & the Butterfly Net
Butterfly is a chicken.
Butterfly likes to play with her friends.
But one day, Butterfly caught a disease. The disease was bad. It paralyzed both her legs so she couldn't walk.
I took her inside where she couldn't pass her sickness to the other chickens. When she didn't get better after a day or two, I took her to the vet.
The vet said that Butterfly had a bacterial infection with symptoms similar to Marek's Disease. He gave us antibiotics to heal her, but her chances were looking slim.
Butterfly wouldn't eat. She wouldn't drink. We had to hand-feed her her special food—Strawberry-flavored Liquid Nutrition—and we had to wash her.
Butterfly showed small signs of recovery—she seemed to gain energy, and she began to eat by herself when we added yummy vegetable broth to her food. Magical Strawberry Liquid-Nutrition!
Ten days passed, and the antibiotics ended. Butterfly was much better: We didn't have to add the veggie broth, and she could feel and slightly move one of her legs. Her other leg, however, was still stuck straight out and rigid.
As time went on, Butterfly stayed like that. The cold spring days turned warmer, and she began to go sit out on the grass. The grass is good for her. It gives her traction so she can more easily use her good leg.
Her good leg turned into a fully movable leg, and Butterfly was soon sitting almost like a normal chicken should—all except her paralyzed leg sticking out at the front. Because of this, Butterfly couldn't see her friends. They would be very rude about her walking disabilities.
With her good leg perfectly wonderful, I, Butterfly's caretaker, had an idea. What if Butterfly just needed a little extra support to walk? What if she could, she just needed help?
I attempted to make a sort of hammock with leg holes out of fleece. Fleece was too hot, and too stretchy. I tried to make a gurney with thin cardboard—that proved to be too sharp and rigid.
Then, oh, then!—Mother had a wonderful idea—we could suspend the hammock/gurney with rope, and attach it to a zip-line. This way Butterfly could move herself along with her good leg!
We needed a fabric that wasn't stretchy, that wasn't hot... I went to my local store and bought a butterfly net.
With just a few adaptations, Butterfly fits perfectly in the Butterfly net.
Now she can stand on one leg without collapsing! Now she can move herself and get the exercise she needs!
When her leg muscles are built to their previous wonderment, she will be zipping along the zip-line—and beyond! Soon she will be back with her friends.
UPDATES
6/9/13 AM: Butterfly was attacked by a hawk! I had to scare it away just as it was about to fly away with her in its claws—freaky!! So, a note: Don't leave immobile chickens out in the open. She wasn't in the net when it happened, just taking a break in the grass, but still... When she goes out in the Butterfly net today, I'll be putting something over her to cover her—maybe I could suspend an umbrella or something? Maybe she's ready to go in the run with the others! I'll figure it out.
6/9/13 PM: Butterfly is now in with the other chickens! Yay! I attached a rope to one of the beams going across the top of the run, and the Butterfly net hangs from it. So far they haven't been too rude to her—just a few pecks here and there (of course I freak out whenever they do that
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