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The chicken,
named Cicely, is headed into surgery on Wednesday for the start
of a first-of-its-kind procedure to fit her with an artificial
limb, her owner, Andrea Martin of Black Thistle Farm, said on
Monday.
Cicely, 3 months old, was born with a torn tendon in her right
leg that limits her mobility. When Martin took her to Tufts
University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine to be
examined last week she was given two choices — a prosthetic or
euthanasia.
"It was a no-brainer," Martin said in a phone interview. "She
needs to be able to live a normal life."
Martin's farm, located in Clinton, about 45 miles (72 km) west
of Boston, specializes in chicken rehabilitation and this isn't
the first time she has splurged on surgery. One of her hens had
a hysterectomy last year that cost $3,000.
"Anytime you do surgery on a bird, it's a risk," she said. "But
I am optimistic. I think this will make her very happy. It's
worth it."
When Cicely goes into surgery Wednesday, Dr. Emi Knafo will
amputate her right leg. She will then run a CT-scan on Cicely’s
left leg, to be used for a 3-D printed prosthetic. The chicken
will be sent home to rest for two weeks, before returning to
Tufts for her fitting.
Similar surgeries have been performed on other creatures, but
Knafo said she believed it was the first time it has been
attempted on a chicken.
Martin said she hopes to write a children’s book about the
experience, once Cicely is healed.
"She needs to tell her story," Martin said.
(Editing by Scott Malone and Eric Walsh)
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