Loads of sites come up in my feed. Some I scroll through, others I block and a few catch my interest and I click through to their page. Sanctuaries usually grab my attention and I often reach out to offer to post about their work on my blog. So far, I’ve profiled several rescue groups: in England, Australia, the USA and Canada.
I reached out to fellow Canadian, Temara from The Browns’ Microsanctuary who expressed interest in chatting with me. This is my third post featuring their rescue. The first was a profile of their work, while the second featured viral star, rooster Steve.
Eileen (I Lean), Bantam Gold Laced Polish x
April 3: We have a new little bundle of joy who needs our help. Meet Eileen, a 3-4 month old bantam rooster who was born with a leg deformity. He was left to linger in a cage by the person who originally had him. We were very grateful to get an appointment with Dr. Taylor in Guelph this week so we could get him seen to immediately.
He is going to need surgery and Dr. Taylor said the sooner the better. We already did bloodwork and x-rays. Now the race is on to fundraise whatever he needs to help him get it. I truly feel like Eileen has his best chance with Dr. Taylor’s help. Now it’s up to us to make sure he’s able to get it.
Eileen is such a good wee boy. He’s chilling in his new little wheelchair, enjoying his breakfast, and taking it all in. He loves to snuggle up with you and doesn’t want you to leave his side. He’s so unbelievably darling. He truly deserves the world.
When Eileen was first rescued, the volunteers thought he was a pullet so they named him Eileen. “I lean” seemed like a fitting moniker given his condition.
April 24: Less than one week to go until Eileen’s surgery. His right leg rotated backwards at the knee so that he can’t walk.
The bloodwork suggested he could benefit by taking an antibiotic, likely from the stress of his life so far, so we pushed surgery to April 30th.
In 2024, we had three babies with this exact condition. We had a different vet with a different treatment plan. Each of them suffered heart failure before we could get them surgery. Without being able to get proper exercise, I worry their hearts aren’t able to get strong. A little bit of exertion really stressed out poor Eileen.
We are eager to get his leg corrected and to see him get stronger. It’s going to be a nerve-wracking few days leading up to his procedure. We know Eileen is going to be the most fantastic advocate for roosters, if given the chance. He has so much love to give the world!
April 30: We’re on our way to the hospital for Eileen’s surgery. I want to snuggle him as much as possible so this is how we’re riding. Please help distract me today. I’m so nervous.
May 1: He’s home! I can hardly believe it. That leg is on straight now. I’m beyond impressed with everything his veterinary team has done for him. The drugs are really working well too. He seems very comfortable, all things considered. He’s eating and drinking really well too.
Eileen’s tibia needed to be fractured, rotated, and pinned back in the correct place with special attention to all of his soft tissues. He has a fancy acrylic brace holding it all together while he heals.
My next job is to sew another sling for his chair that is easier to lift him in and out with his brace on. We will return in a few days to do a re-check.
May 2: It’s pretty amazing. I think just by getting the leg straight, his overall balance is better. That has him in a more natural position and he’s already putting weight on his good leg on his own (while in his chair). He’s already supporting his body weight with his good leg in a way he never could before.
May 8: It’s Eileen’s first re-check after his surgery last week. Everything is looking promising so far. You can see the pins as well as the acrylic fixator and his poor wee bald leg. It took a bit of tinkering but once we figured out how to adjust his chair, he settled right in. We’ll be working on ramping up his physio over the next while.
May 11: Eileen is making such amazing progress! We’ve been doing lots of physio to help his joints adapt and stay flexible. Yesterday, I was able to get both of his feet on the ground while supporting his weight. It was like I could see the wheels turning in his head as he was realizing the potential.
The brace holding the bones in position does get in the way right now. He can only bend his hock joints so far before it bumps it. We can only imagine what he’ll achieve when it comes off.
May 18: Huge progress: he was able to stand on his own two feet for the first time in his whole life! Eileen never learned to use his legs in any way that would resemble walking. We are having to do everything from scratch. He also became used to lying in certain positions so lots of physio has been necessary to keep his joints flexible and strong.
May 21: Today marked three weeks since Eileen had his surgery and look at him standing so strong. He’s leaning against the side of his wheelchair for support but we see so much improvement every day. If he’s not leaning and trying to get up, he’s already learned go use his feet a bit to try to get up. Next week, he’ll return to the hospital to have an x-ray to confirm that his bone has healed well and then hopefully have the pins removed. He should then have a better range of motion.
May 27: Eileen is improving so much every single day. It’s truly remarkable to witness. Yesterday, he stood on his own two feet for the first time without any support. Today, he was able to hold that position for five minutes! It’s been almost 2 months since this little guy came into our lives and we couldn’t love him more. It’s truly amazing to see him getting stronger every day.
May 29: The brace and the cross pins are out! The video and x-ray shows what it looked like before. The bone has healed really well and everything is looking great!
Yesterday, as he was coming down from his meds, we just sat in the sunshine together and cuddled. He was purring the whole time. We opted to leave the pin that runs the length of the bone in place. He’s still learning to walk and that should give him good support while he builds his strength. We’ll return in a few weeks to have it removed too.
June 4: Renamed Little Forrest “Steady Eddy” the former Eileen is doing so well. He no longer needs any help to stay balanced on his feet. He knows he can use them to get around. Now it’s just a matter of getting strength in his legs. There’s no skipping leg day allowed here!
Cost
- Surgery and hospital stay: $1500 (CDN)
- Pre-op and medications: $700
- Post-op X-rays/removal of two pins: $400
- One more big pin that still has to come out
One of the vets who helped us is training for her certification which helped bring the cost down significantly.
Thanks to Temara from Browns’ Microsanctuary for sharing Forrest’s story and X-rays, used with permission. Check out their site for videos of Forrest’s amazing progress.
“Saving one chicken won’t change the world, but it’ll change theirs.”
Bitchin' Chickens 
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