Prosthetic Chicken Leg for Hopalong.

myminifactory

This custom-designed leg was created specifically for a wyandotte chicken named Hopalong, who hatched from her egg on March 19, 2019, with a congenital deformity that left her without one leg. As a result of her mobility issues, Hopalong was often trampled by her brothers and sisters, as well as their mother hen, which made it impossible for her to access food, water, or heat on her own. Her initial owner lacked the means to care for her properly, so Hopalong was adopted by a new family just three days after she hatched. At that point, she required around-the-clock care and assistance with eating and drinking to regain her strength. Today, at 3.5 weeks old, Hopalong is doing remarkably well, despite still having a phobia of outside grass and being left alone. Her good leg has developed significant muscle mass, allowing her to hop around effectively. However, certain tasks that are typical for chickens, such as scratching in the dirt or scratching an itchy head, remain challenging for her. In testing this prototype prosthetic leg, various filaments were tried out, including PLA and TPU. So far, the best results have been achieved using a flexible Filaform TPU with a Shore rating of 85A, utilizing 100% infill. Given Hopalong's rapid growth rate, she will require regular updates to her prosthetic leg to ensure it continues to meet her needs. Keep an eye on this space for future updates on Hopalong and her custom-made prosthetic leg.