Tiffany's progress

As of August 1, Tiffany, the Buff Orpington with a broken leg, continued to improve. Owner Pat Barberi reports:

I have been putting her out in the barn with the flock in the morning and bringing her in at night. This evening I could NOT recognize her as she mingled with the flock until she heard my voice and came over.

This morning for the first time she stood normally on both feet and actually pivoted on the repaired leg to turn around.

When she moves she stills limps a little bit, favoring the left leg, but it is planted firmly down and she can push forward with it. I went into the barn tonight and dumped some scratch in various places, one being an old coffee table I use for a saw bench when I am working on remodeling out there.

When I returned to that part of the barn, there she was on top of the saw table with two other pullets pecking away at the scratch. This was a three foot high benchmark for her to acquire.What a remarkable evolution of this rehabilitation of a major leg injury. I brought her in tonight, one more time, but starting tomorrow I think I can leave her overnight in the barn with the rest of the flock.

Harvey Ussery of www.themodernhomestead.us says:

The recuperative powers of chickens are phenomenal. (Where injuries are concerned, that is--where disease is concerned, they seem mostly to have two settings: On, and Off.)

I once accidentally ran over a young Cornish Cross (Cornish Cross, mind you, one of the most compromised chickens on earth) with a mobile shelter. Picked it up to find one thigh bone snapped cleanly in half, just like you'd break a pencil. Set it back down and said, "You're on your own on this one, pal." I'd see it limping about afterwards, each time a little less awkwardly. When we ate that batch, I kept looking for a thigh bone with a big calcified "patch". I never found one.

These reports remind us that chickens are sturdy, resilient birds. Thank you both.