There aren’t many vets that will consider treating a chicken. Nor are there many owners who would consider taking a chicken to a vet. Chickens are considered, I suppose, somewhat disposable and easily replaceable. Not true in the case of my chicken “Fric Frac”. (Actually, she’s either “Fric” or “Frac” and her sister is the other. Since they’re always together I never have found it necessary to differentiate.) Until today. Let’s call the chicken I’m about to discuss “Fric”.
Today I heard Joe calling me from the front yard. I went out to see what he needed and found him kneeling on the ground next to “Fric”. He had on rubber gloves and was staring rather intently at her rear end.
“Uh, what’s up?” I asked.
“There's something sticking out of her,” he replied.
I knelt down for a closer inspection and found that, indeed, there was something sticking out of her that shouldn’t have been. I kind of knew that it might be a prolapse because I had heard of that happening, but it really is something entirely different to see it for real. Pretty gross actually, but confusing too. You can’t quite figure out what’s what and where things belong and the chicken wasn’t exactly happy about the situation either.
Joe and I, with our wealth of veterinary knowledge, eventually decided to “shove it back in”. So happy that we keep rubber gloves around because you just never really know what you could be asked to do on the farm. The chicken appeared not to mind too much and went back to eating as soon as we released her.
Of course I headed to the computer to Google “chicken prolapse” (you wouldn't believe my list of crazy search topics: How to Kill a Hamster, How Long Does a Llama Live, How to Train Your Pig Not To Be Such a Jerk, etc.). Based on what I found it looks like we actually did the right thing which is pretty cool and somewhat surprising, to be perfectly honest.
For now I’m just relieved that my pretty, little “Fric” is alive, well and thriving.
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