The Grossest thing EVER

Urban farming at its lowest point.

Warning, those with a faint stomach need not read on!


Sometime early last week, I notice a bit of blood in the chicken coop. Just by observation, I couldn't figure out where it was coming from so I didn't give it much thought. A couple of days later, I noticed that the coop had an odd smell, a very unpleasant smell. Again, I couldn't quite put my finger on it and I didn't notice anything wrong. Friday morning, I asked Phil if he wouldn't mind investigating. He discovered the foulest (not fowlest) and most disgusting absess I have ever seen and yes, I have dealt with a number of absesses over the years. Our black cochin, had an "orange sized" ball of rotting stinking black flesh and pus. The smell was so horrifically putrid that Phil (who has a iron stomach) was gagging repeatedly. I couldn't even come near!!

Phil wanted to off the poor thing right then and there. After consulting with my parents, we decided to soak her leg in hot soapy water, apply hydrogen peroxide (didn't have iodine), and see what happens. She contentedly sat in the hot soapy water but wasn't so pleased with the peroxide treatment! This is where I gave way to gagging. It wasn't the smell necessarily (although it was nasty even after her bath and clung to the air like some sort of fog rot) but the vile sight of the wound was more than I could stomach! I don't gag in silence, either.

We put her in a small cage with a heat lamp and waited to see what would happen. Over the weekend, we continued the treatments and she seemed quite pleased, making happy chicken noises, eating and drinking her fill, and dozing under the heat lamp. The hard outer shell of crusted skin and feathers peeled off and oozing stopped and dried up a bit. Now that it has been a week since I notice the smell of rot, she seems to be on the road to recovery!


Here she is having her evening soak.



Oh yes I did just post this!!!! If you think this is gross, you should of seen it at its worst, which was a thousand times more discusting! I can at least look at it now.

Chicken for dinner anyone?  Incidentally, I did attempt to cut up a fryer for dinner last night.  I had to fight back some gags as I was hacking into the meat.  The experience of all this is seared in my mind.  I may never look at chicken meat the same way again!
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