If you saw our first post about Elsa, you know she was a stray hen who found shelter under someone’s hot tub! She was fed and given straw but needed a home quickly, as she was vulnerable to the weather and predators.

She’s still very frightened but is starting to enjoy typical hen behaviour, like scratching for seeds and dust bathing when she thinks no one is watching.

Sadly, she has lost several parts of her comb due to frostbite, and more areas may fall off soon.

It’s a misconception that chickens don’t need heat in winter, but Elsa’s case shows otherwise. Nobody should have to endure such cold that it causes permanent loss of body parts.

We all know how uncomfortable it is when our fingers and toes feel freezing after being outside (our volunteers know this well). I can’t imagine how painful frostbite must be when it causes parts of your body to turn black and fall off!

Fortunately, Elsa was looked out for by someone who contacted us, so we could go out in the cold to try to rescue her.

She’s now inside, comfortable, and continuing to decompress.