Backward Leggie

So, how many people do you know that could say they had been to the veterinarian with a chicken?  Well, you can say it now! 

If you've been following along on my blog about the exploits in "chicken land" here in Troy, here's yet another to add to your "flock" of exploits

Since my last blog update one of our chickens has taken on a life of her own. Well, actually, she's had quite a bit of help, but that's for later in the story.   I figure this chicken is  a her because it's not a rooster.  Are there male chickens, who are not roosters?  Is it important?  Probably to a chicken farmer?  Are they chicken farmer's?  Anyhoo, one of our chickens has developed a "backward" leg.  She has one leg that goes forward and one that is turned backward.  Really!  I know it sounds weird and unbelievable, but just consider the land I live in!  Anything is possible here in "Troyland" and, happens here.  What? You need more proof?  We shouldn't be laughing about this.  This poor chicken doesn't know whether she's coming or going!  Of course, this could be said for most of us here in "Troyland", that's why the chicken fits in so well.

So I've told you about the skunk living under the chicken coop right?  Well number one, it's still there living peacefully among the chickens.  Or, I should say, under the chickens.  All is well and good for now since the chickens aren't laying eggs.  But I think that sneaky little black and white devil is just waiting for that first egg to pop outta one of those hens. I don't know what he'll do first, spray with delight, or drool his way into the chicken coop.  Now Corey's theory is, just leave him there.  He'll keep all of the foxes and other varmints out of the chicken yard.  Does sound good in theory now doesn't it?  Not! Number one, have you every been sprayed by a skunk?  Well believe it from one who has, it's NOT something you want to experience or be around someone who has experienced it! 

Here kitty, kitty!

Okay, okay, I'll tell you.  Stop hounding!  So when I was about 7-8 years old I had a friend who lived up the hill from us and across from my Grandpa and Grandma.  Most of the kids I grew up with in the neighborhood were boys so we did the usual boy things: collected polliwogs from dirty ponds, played with frogs, chased rats with baseball bats, got the hook end of coat hangers caught in our eyelids, you know, all the usual boy things.  So anyway, Bobbie and I were checking my grandparents mailbox so we could take the mail to grandma when this beautiful little black and white "kitten" came sauntering across the road.  It was the most beautiful little thing with this long fluffy tail.  I reached down and picked it up. Yes, I did.  It was so cute!  I rubbed it's back and talked to it and then Bobbie wanted to hold it. I stretched out my arms to hand the "kitty"t to Bobbie and he reached out his arms to take the "kitty" and that adorable little kitty sprayed the most awful smell you have ever smelled all over us.  Our eyes burned, we smelled absolutely awful.  I don't even remember what happened to the "kitty" but when I hit the backdoor at home I thought my mom's eyes were going to explode out of her head.  I think I could hear Barbara, Bobbie's mom's blood-curdling scream clear down at the bottom of the hill.  It's an amazing wonder that my mom didn't gas us both that day.  She must have scrubbed me with every cleaning agent on the market, and then some:  Hexol, ammonia, Clorox, Ajax, witch hazel, you name it and she scrubbed with it.  I believe they burned my clothes.  I could still smell that scent in my hair when I swam in high school!

Corey/Backward Leggie watching movie

So, to get back to the chicken.  The kids, Sierra and Jamison (Jamo) went out night before last to "put the chickens away".  Meaning, make sure they're in the coop and shut the door.  They both came back in yelling for Corey and said there was something out there.  Corey ran out and found the skunk has sprayed, the chickens were in the coop (probably trying to get away from that awful smell) and Miss Backward Leg Hen was all in a corner by herself.  Does Corey pick her up and put her in the coop? Are ya kiddin' me?  This is Corey! She goes into the house, comes out with a towel, picks up the chicken and carries the chicken into the house.  The chicken spent the next two hours wrapped in a towel, sitting in Corey's lap, watching a movie.


Yesterday I get a text message from Corey, "Aunt Jan, will you go with me to the vet Thursday morning at 9:45 am?  I need to take Backward Leggie in for a checkup". Okay, so now I'm headed to the vet with a chicken.  Now I was raised in the country with animals: cows, dogs, burros, chickens the whole lot.  Never had I ever been to the vet with a chicken.  I mean, is this normal.? Now before you answer, remember, I'm in "Troyland". So what's normal in your world is probably totally different here.

Today we head out for the vet's office.  (But first things first, we stop at Starbucks of course.)  Corey picks me up.  When I open the car door there she sits with Backward Leggie wrapped in a towel in her lap.  She's already tamed this darn chicken.  This chicken is laying there in her lap as if she belongs there.  That chicken didn't make one single sound the entire trip to Starbucks.  But, you should have seen the look on the young man's face when he opened that drive-through window to give us our coffee.  His exclamation, "holy crap, this lady has a chicken in her lap".  We laughed until we almost collapsed.  So, we take our coffee and low-fat cinnamon coffee cake and continue on to the vets.  

It was the most interesting feeling walking into the vets office.  Here's this huge reception area, dogs and cats everywhere and not a single one made a move toward the chicken.  Backward Leggie lay there in Corey's arms like it was the most natural thing in the world.  Needless to say, they immediately took us back to an exam room. No sense in one of the dogs suddenly realizing they had a chicken in their midst!

We're sitting in the exam room and the doctor walks in.  He walks up to the chicken and starts in with baby talk at the chicken.  Now if that chicken had talked back I'd have a completely different story to tell wouldn't I?  The doctor examined Backward Leggie's leg and foot and could tell there was a problem with a tendon.  Since the doctor doesn't have that many chicken patients he decided to begin a new data base by taking five x-rays of Backward Leggie's leg and foot.  This would allow him to do his research and talk with other vets without Corey having to return with Backward Leggie. Which, she would have done.  She is one determined chicken mama. 


I thought the conversation between the doctor and Corey was very unusual.  Now remember, we're in "Troyland", this doctor has know Corey and her kids for a long time and has treated more of their animals than you can imagine.  He just kept Josh's hamster for 10 days after the hamster got out of the cage and Biscuit just about had him for dinner!  The hamster wasn't hurt, just tramatized.  I told you, we're in "Troyland".  Better Biscuit who just wanted to play with him than the vacuum cleaner, right!  Okay, back to the conversation.

Doctor: "How long have you had Backward Leggie?"

Corey: "Since June."
Doctor: "When did you first notice the problem with the leg?"
Corey: "Oh, I'm not sure, a month or so ago."
Doctor: "You mean to tell me you've had this poor chicken with this leg and it took you over two months to notice?"
Corey: "But, but, there were 31 chickens that were just a couple days old when we got them.  They were everywhere!" (Actually, they were in the upstairs bathroom but she was smart enough not to tell him that!)

The doctor completed his exam, we wrapped Backward Leggie up in her towel and headed back to the reception area to calculate the damages.  We're not going there!  Suffice it to say, we could have probably ordered another 90 baby chicks!  Corey is holding the chicken, wrapped in it's blue towel. Oh, and interestingly enough, we made that entire trip and that chicken didn't poop once!  Isn't that kinda odd?  I mean don't chickens spend most of their time walking and pooping? Anyway, I'm about ready to loose it because it's just beginning to dawn on me that I'm actually at the vet at 10am in the morning with a chicken whose leg is backward.  We're standing there and they're calculating the bill and Corey is trying to hold the chicken, rifle through her purse for her wallet, look for her credit card (which she couldn't locate) so then she's counting cash, reverts to looking for her card and in the midst of everything she hands the chicken over to me.  It's like, are ya kiddin'n me? I signed on, but chicken sitting?  Anyway, she continues to rifle and I'm standing here in the waiting room holding this chicken.   The next thing I know Corey says, "Aunt Jan, do you realize you're rocking Backward Leggie?"  Now do ya really think I'd be doing it if I realized I was doing it?

So now, we're waiting a day or two to hear the prognosis for poor Backward Leggie.  She's safe and sound right now, well she was awhile ago.  Corey's phone is in "the shop" for about three hours.  Heck, by now they may have a dozen rabbits and two goats!


So, how was your day?