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Aussie-Made Wheelchair Helps Injured Chickens Walk Again

Roo the rooster is recovering with a little help from the chair.

When Roo the rooster became involved in an altercation with another rooster, he came off a little worse for the wear.

Roo's owner, Darcy Smith took in another rooster recently and because of the animal's size Smith kept him in a separate cage. Roo became a little unsettled about having company and so, determined to be the only rooster who could rule the roost, decided to deal with the newcomer himself.

Roo attempted to attack the new rooster through the cage and in doing this, broke his beak in two places and sustained head injuries which resulted in swelling on his brain.

With such serious injures, Smith decided that Roo needed some serious medical care so he ordered a custom-made chicken wheelchair from Melbourne to aid his rehabilitation.

"The change in behaviour was immediate -- his eyes brightened up and he was able to be himself again," Ms Smith told the ABC of the moment Roo was put into the wheelchair.

Miranda Boutlon is the lady who makes the chicken wheelchairs and she told the ABC that she has handmade about 100 of them so far.

"You might see wheelchairs for dogs and cats, so there's a lot for our four-legged friends but nothing out there for chickens -- I guess there was a gap in the market," Boulton told the ABC.

The chair, complete with food holders at the front, means that Roo can stand up and interact with other roosters has he recovers from his injures. It helps him walk, not only around his home but also slowly along his path of recovery and into the future.

Get well, Roo!

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