Some of you got to see how fast I can run. Yesterday I had Perrie in the isolation stall in the new barn. She was looking poorly, hunched over, not moving, and not eating. The stall has netting across the top to keep chickens in. I guess that Perrie felt better, because she squeezed out of the netting and flew out of the barn – unfortunately straight at my dog Lily. Fortunately, I was busy in the yard and saw Lily leap up and grab Perrie, then pin her to the ground. That’s when some of you got to see me run past the asparagus bed to save the chicken. I grabbed Lily’s collar and yanked her off of her feet. Perrie came up with her, clamped in my dog’s mouth. I pried Lily’s teeth open and Perrie hit the ground running towards her flock. Feathers swirled around us. I shooed Perrie into the pen and dragged Lily into the house.

I went back out and found Perrie hiding in a corner of the coop. I was surprised to see her standing. I picked her up and felt all over. I fully expected to find puncture wounds. Not a scratch.

I don’t know why Perrie looked so sick yesterday morning. Perhaps it was indigestion? Did she eat a bug that didn’t agree with her? Perrie has a particularly fine, thick coat of feathers. When she looked ill, she fluffed up and appeared ready to molt, but luckily for her, she didn’t. Those feathers saved her. Lucky girl.

PS Betsy Ross remains in isolation and she still has that prolapse. I tried an old folk remedy today – smearing honey on it. What we’ll do for our chickens.