Meet Thelma (aka Crooked Chicken)

Thelma

It was a rainy day last October and I was home sick from work. I was in the kitchen doing a few dishes when all of a sudden I heard a huge commotion among the chickens. I looked out the window and saw a big fluffy tail saunter by. I ran outside (in my slippers and monkey pajamas) in the rain and saw a coyote with a big, fluffy, white chicken in its mouth run off. I took off after it like a crazy mad woman in my pj's screaming at the coyote. The coyote took off in the brush and I lost it. I ran down to the coop where the chickens were hanging out and did a count. They were all there. I counted again - one, two, three white chickens. Everyone looked fine at first glance. I was very confused - I knew the coyote had one of my Light Brahmas. When Matt came home I told him about the chicken drama and asked him to help me look at the chickens because I knew the coyote got one but yet they were all accounted for. Matt noticed that Thelma, the biggest Light Brahma, was looking rather odd. Upon closer inspection we determined that the coyote did have Thelma but must have dropped her when the crazy lady ran after it. There were no open wounds, no blood, but her keel bone was no longer in the center of her chest. We think the coyote must have crushed some bones and moved around some others. We were worried and watched her carefully for a while, but Thelma was totally fine, just crooked. She's still funny looking but lays eggs and pecks and scratches and does all the normal chicken things. Over the last three years of raising chickens I have been amazed at how hardy they can be.