Miss Petal Feels Poorly

Miss Petal, one of our backyard chickens was looking poorly this morning. Unlike her sisters, who all scurried over when I brought out their breakfast, she stood wobbling to one side. I could tell she wanted to rush on over also. However, at the risk of falling flat on her beak, she simply stood with a wobble happening, moving backwards and forwards.

Our feathered girls are very much family members here in our neck-of-the-woods. Since we adopted our rescued hens (they are all ex-battery girls) we have enjoyed seeing them every morning, out and about enjoying their garden area.

We have had six hens to date in total, and over time have sadly had two of them pass away. With each passing there are tears and grief. Yet there is some small comfort also, as we know for a time each got to live a much better life than they originally experienced in the battery hen factory farm they came from.

Whether they are suffering perhaps from being egg bound, or have a sore toe or leg or some other ailment, each time one of them is looking under the weather, there is something of a ruffling of their human keeper's feathers here in our home (pun intended, of course!). We love our girls! Any moments of hurt and suffering always touch our hearts, and cause concern.

So today Miss Petal was uplifted from her place amongst our flock, and brought inside for some extra tender loving care. Set up in a quiet area, suspended in a chicken sling to take the weight off her feet, she perked up enough to have her breakfast and settled down for a time to heal.

We hope you feel better soon, Miss Petal. We love you.