Against all odds

We regularly speak of the resilience of hens and every now and then are reminded of this, as happened recently when little Minnie was picked up by one of our team with an awful head injury but, despite this, the strongest will to live.

Not only were we astounded by her zest for life, but also by the kindness and compassion offered to her by the team at Dulverton Veterinary Practice where she was taken for treatment.

Minnie lives with Julie, the charity’s Volunteer & Operations Manager who already has a menagerie of furry and feathered friends at home but simply couldn’t leave her behind on this rehoming day. Minnie was a young hen, aka a pullet, who had been removed from an incoming caged flock at a farm the BHWT was collecting from.

“We thought her comb had been pecked off, but the whole of the back of her head was a mass of pecks,” explained Julie. “I took her to my regular vet in Dulverton, who looks after my cats and dogs, and she was not sure if Minnie would survive.”

Little Minnie was prescribed antibiotics, pain relief and an antimicrobial spray and that, along with her very gentle daily baths, saw her slowly improve and her wound begin to heal. Such was Minnie’s response and resilience that the vet who treated her did so free of charge.

“When we went back a week later, she thought I had brought in a different hen and was delighted she had survived and was looking so well,” continued Julie. “They seemed very honoured that we had chosen them to look at Minnie and wanted to provide help for this little hen without any cost attached to support our work and give her the best chance of survival.”

Our heartfelt thanks go to Julie for not giving up on Minnie, and for the team at Dulverton Veterinary Practice for their kindness.