OT: Gimpy the chicken

ani's ark · #1 01/30/13, 03:22 PM

I got sold a 4 week old Hyline chick with a malformed knee joint, when she walks it bends the wrong way. The supplier said he'd replace her, but I have yet to see my new replacement chicken. Hmmm.
The problem is I didnt cull her as everyone said to, and now she's made friends with the goat - chicken coop and goat shed are joined up. Dammit, I waited until I heard back from the supplier and by then she had a name; 'Gimpy'.

Every night Gimpy gets excited and flaps about screeching when I bring the goat in, so I let her through into the goat shed and she hobbles over to the grain bowl and they eat together. She peeps a love song, pecking away right by the goat's face. Then she roosts on Salma's side at night. I was scared she'd get stood on, coz she walks awkwardly, but Salma is careful of her.

Well, sigh...I dont think shes in pain, she's not picked on by the other chickens yet and shes eating and seems healthy, so I guess she's staying. She'd better lay eggs though...

I do worry about cocci or other diseases with having a chicken in the dairy goat pen. As long as I maintain my milking hygiene is it safe? Should I just suck in up and cull?

Minelson · #2 01/30/13, 04:03 PM

Chickens do fine with goats as long as the goats don't eat the chicken food. I also wouldn't want them roosting above and carping on my goats backs or heads. I think you should keep little Gimpy

mekasmom · #3 01/30/13, 04:14 PM

One "goat lady" told me that chickens can't pass cocci on to goats? I don't know, but I never had an issue with it even when they were together. I did have a litter of GPs come down with coccidia once though.
I would keep Gimpy. I figure some things just belong where they are. We had a duck named Peg that was a Peg leg for several years. She would brood and hatch the cutest chicks. I don't' know how she lost her foot, probably frost bit or something, but it was like that when she came to live here.

CaliannG · #4 01/30/13, 06:20 PM

The coccidia that chickens get is a different strain then the one that goats get, so Salma and the kids are safe from Gimpy.

I have a crossbred hen that roosts in the goat stall too. Her name is Gertie, and she has figured out how to get into the milking stall. She lays an egg for me every day right next to the milk stand.

ShadowfaxFarm · #5 01/30/13, 07:28 PM

I have lots of poultry free-range that eat with the goats & sheep.

BethW · #6 01/30/13, 07:35 PM

You wouldn't separate two good friends, would you?

I didn't think so.

prairiedog · #7 01/30/13, 07:37 PM

We have a gimp chicken a well. She lost her foot and part of her leg due to an accident. i thought about putting her down but waited. It healed and she gets around great on one leg and a stub. The chickens use to share a pen with the bucks.

Suzyq2u · #8 01/30/13, 07:38 PM

We had a chicken that thought she was a goat. The first kidding season she insisted on staying with them and stayed in that area of the farm ever since and passed away recently over night with them.
She never got any extra feed except what she stole (shared?) with the goats and always layed HUGE double yolked green eggs (she was an aracauna). Great bird!
Miss that chicken

Enjoy gimpy!!

Awnry Abe · #9 01/30/13, 07:44 PM

You should see the collection of misfit, broken chickens that my DD keeps. We just put a splint on one this past weekend. We had one this past summer that was getting pecked to the point of blood dripping from her head. Because she was "one of the original 3", she got to keep her head. We put her up in the kid pen with our yearling buck and his boy-toy. The three bonded quite well. Ol' Fluffy has since healed and is back with the flock, eating feed and not laying eggs...

Minelson · #10 01/30/13, 08:17 PM

Very sweet stories

GoatJunkie · #11 01/30/13, 08:25 PM

Color me soft hearted, but I got a lump in my throat just reading your story ani's ark! You can't get rid of Gimpy now.

Lovin' all the chicken and goat friendships.... please keep the stories coming!

Pony · #12 01/30/13, 08:30 PM

Yeah, I'm one of those who got runny eyes reading the Gimpy Love Story, too... You do know, Ani, that we must have pictures now, or we won't be able to sleep a wink.

Minelson · #13 01/30/13, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pony

Yeah, I'm one of those who got runny eyes reading the Gimpy Love Story, too... You do know, Ani, that we must have pictures now, or we won't be able to sleep a wink.

yep...I was thinking the same thing. We need a picture of Gimpy fo sure!

GoatJunkie · #14 01/30/13, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pony

You do know, Ani, that we must have pictures now, or we won't be able to sleep a wink.

Why didnt I think of that!

KSALguy · #15 01/30/13, 10:07 PM

i had a whole flock of chickens and guineas that lived in the goat barn, they kept all the bedding scratched up and fluffy and ate all the bugs and spilt grain, the muscovies even made a few nests in the barn in places the goats wouldnt step on them lol,

and YES we need PICTURES!!!!

GoatJunkie · #16 01/30/13, 10:47 PM

That does it! I'm getting chickens!

Otter · #17 01/30/13, 10:57 PM

Oh, yes GoatJunkie, you need chickens!

Ugly - who was a shockingly ugly chick and adolescent, and is now the prettiest chicken on the place - is the one who comes with me for all goat chores, makes a pest of herself while I milk, perches on my shoulder and then cleans up any grain. No barn is complete without at least a couple of chickens scratching around it.

It will be about a month or two before I pen them up, but I'll happily send you hatching eggs for the price of postage. I can fit 16 - 18 in the $10.70 size box. This rooster over California White, Tetra Tint, RSL and RIR hens. They'll be just mutts, but they'll be heavy laying mutts in a rainbow of color. The blue-tailed reds are surprisingly pretty
OT: Gimpy the chicken - Goats

ani's ark · #18 01/30/13, 11:05 PM

Awww shucks, thanks you big ole bunch of enablers!
Now I just added a gimpy bird to my collection of misfit animals. Okay, here's Gimpy....
(I'll try and get one of her and Salma together at tonights feeding, it's cute)

aart · #19 01/31/13, 05:15 AM

I wonder if you could splint it into the proper position? She might be too old, but here's some ideas for applying splints on chicks-not the same problems as yours, but might give you some ideas. http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/sea...eg%20deformity

Rockytopsis · #20 01/31/13, 05:24 AM

Great story, thanks for the photo of Gimpy. I too was wondering if a splint of some kind would help. Looking foreward to picks of Gimpy and Salma.
Nancy