PECAN'S
STORY
This
young
hen
was
brought
in
from
a
local
hobby
farm
which
would
buy
chicks
by
the
dozen
from
a
mail-order
catalog.
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BEFORE: A vitamin B deficiency caused "Curly Toe Syndrome"
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AFTER: Pecan can walk almost normally. She now lives with 24 other chickens.
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She
had
a
leg
condition
that
prevented
her
from
standing
properly
or
walking,
and
was
emaciated
because
she
couldn’t
reach
the
food
in
the
cramped
pen.
She
would
try
to
stand
but
deformed
legs
would
cause
her
to
fall
forward.
We
immediately
took
her
to
a
vet,
who
suspected
a
vitamin
B
deficiency.
Given
this
hen’s
advanced
condition,
her
prognosis
was
poor.
He
suggested
a
course
of
action
but
didn’t
show
much
optimism.
We
named
her
Pecan
and
put
her
on
a liquid
vitamin
B supplement.
We
tried
a variety
of
materials
to
create
a splint
or
sling
to
support
her
legs,
but her body shape made this too awkward.
Instead,
we
tried
physical
therapy
--
something
not
normally
done
with
a
chicken.
Several
times
a
day
we
would
manipulate
her
legs
to
walk
her
around
the
floor
to
build
muscles
and
train
her
to
walk.
Progress was slow, but after nearly 3 weeks of treatment she suddenly decided
to run across the garden on her own! At first she was using wings to help propel
herself. Within a few days she could get around just fine. Now she walks and
runs with her fellow chickens at WFAS and her perky, mischievous personality
makes her easy to spot in the flock. Pecan is totally at ease with people,
and she darts across the chicken yard to greet us whenever we approach.
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