I never thought I’d be a chicken nurse, but I certainly have learned a lot. I can’t believe that in almost a year of chicken-rearing, I never noticed that a chicken’s eyelid closes from the bottom up. Then again, I’ve never been around a chicken who is injured and weary enough to fall asleep right in front of me in broad daylight. For a minute I had the strangest feeling that one or the other of us was upside down, but no, the eyelid, complete with tiny red eyelashes, closed upward.
Hey, wait a minute! The other day I was watching Little Red and I swear I saw her eyelid drop down from the top.
The time had definitely come for some research, which was harder than I expected. There simply was not very much information on the Internet about chicken eyelids. Fancy that! It was actually easier to find out about the development of a woodpecker’s tongue than about a chicken’s eye. Once I got on the right track, I found out several fascinating facts :
* All birds, not just chickens, have three eyelids; they do not have tear ducts, so one of the eyelids serves that function.
* Avian eyes make up 15{b0ded004bdc346b73b2f7c5643ec4b44c0fd04baf547e743db44006f5c758b8f} of the head, while human eyes are only 1{b0ded004bdc346b73b2f7c5643ec4b44c0fd04baf547e743db44006f5c758b8f} of the head. Avian and human vision is very similar.
* Birds can be literally half-asleep, with one brain hemisphere alert and the other taking a siesta. How handy! The hemispheres take turns sinking into the slow-brain-waves sleep stage; the eye controlled by the sleeping hemisphere droops shut, while the wakeful hemisphere’s eye stays open and vigilant (birds can also, thank heavens, sleep with both hemispheres resting at once).
* A bird on the outside edge of a flock tends to keep its outer-facing eye open while resting. This rather intriguing skill evolved as a protection against predators. Interestingly, it has only been found in birds and such aquatic mammals as dolphins, whales, seals and manatees. I can’t help thinking how useful this trick would be in business meetings.
I have learned other valuable things in the course of my nursing. Triple antibiotic ointment is the wonder-drug of the century, for either humans or chickens. I will never be without it again. Little Red prefers green beans to apples, but she loves cheese (of all things!) better than anything else I’ve tried.
After she spent three days here in the house in an extra-large dog crate lined with soft cottonseed hulls, I built my convalescing chicken a temporary daytime shelter outside so the sun and breezes can help her to heal and lift her spirits. She’s also right behind the chicken house so she can hear her flock and they can come to call during visiting hours in the afternoon. I covered the ground with alfalfa and set her up with water and snacks. In just a few hours, Little Red will have survived for six full days. I can’t help thinking she’s going to make it through this crisis.
I expect most nurses are familiar with the kind of rollercoaster I’ve been riding. There were several mornings I awakened with a heavy heart, expecting to find my chicken dead, and other times that she gave me a feisty little peck on my hand that thrilled me with hope. There were moments in which I wondered if I was doing the wrong thing, merely prolonging her suffering, or if it might have been better if the dog’s attack had been immediately fatal. Then there’s a day like today when her appetite for cheese and green beans makes me feel like dancing a jig.
I never dreamed I’d wash a chicken’s butt or do physical therapy to try to get her to use her legs properly. I had no idea I’d fuss the way I do, checking on her every half hour to make sure she’s safe and comfortable out in the yard. I never thought I’d be a chicken taxi service either, carrying her back and forth between the daytime and night-time wings of our makeshift chicken hospital.
I can’t help recalling again the true meaning of husbandry : bonded to the household. Little Red and I have a bond that makes almost anything possible.
By the way, iHola! I’m Lola just laid her first green egg today. Perhaps everything is going to be all right after all.
Very interesting. Thank you very much!
I’ve been taking care of my only surviving game hen from a family of raccoons. They were in their pen that night and apparently were ganged up on from both sides of the fencing. Anyway, she’s been touch and go for a week. Triple antibiotic ointment has been the saving grace for her wounds. She have finally started actually standing on her own after 2 1/2 weeks.
Heartwarming. People don’t realize that that when we have these animals it is not just for food. We develop relationships with each one. Some we want to nurture, some we dare to peck us when we bring the food in. We can second guess treatment because we can’t see their healing, but if you do what is right in your heart, it is never a mistake.
I enjoyed your story, you are a great chicken Mom!
I have a hen (Penny) that I assumed jumped from a roost and maybe broke her foot. I didn’t know if I should put her down or try to help her. So with a popsicle stick and some colorful medical tape I wrapped her foot carefully in my makeshift splint. I fed her scrambled eggs with herbs every day. I kept her inside in a large dogcrate and then eventually to the small hospital coop outside. I remember the day when she realized I was helping her and not trying to hurt her. I was giving her my form of physical therapy when I felt her completely relax in my arms. I eventually moved her back to the big coop. She never walked right but she can get around. I couldn’t get her toes to stay straight. All this time I didn’t know if I was hurting her more and should put her down. I’m glad I didn’t. We have a bond now of very good friends. I call her name and she makes her noises back to me. It was a rough three months for both of us but worth it. That was two years ago. 🙂
Congratulations on a successful healing and rehab! I’ve been doing that for a few years now with quail. I’m a self taught rescuer and have been successful most of the time to be able to release them! It’s amazing how, when injured or sick, they put all their trust in you.