CLINTON, Mass. – This chicken leg isn’t for eating.
A hen owned by a Massachusetts woman who specializes in chicken rehabilitation and rescue is getting fitted with a prosthetic leg Wednesday at Tufts University’s Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.
Andrea Martin of Clinton tells The Telegram & Gazette she is paying for the $2,500 operation out of her own pocket. She says the alternative is euthanization.
The chicken, named Cecily, was born with a damaged tendon in the leg that makes it useless.
The surgery will begin when Emi Knafo, a specialist in avian orthopedics, will amputate Cecily’s right leg.
After a 10- to 14-day recovery period, the prosthetic, made on a 3-D printer, will be fitted.
Similar surgery has been performed on a rooster and duck, though not at Tufts.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.