Sweet, chatty, determined, tenacious, affectionate. This was Mojito.
A short time, a strong impact
We cared for Mojito for 17 days. She immediately captured our hearts and quickly became our sweet, chatty, determined lap chicken. She died 1 day before her 2-month birthday.
It is not easy to write a welcome and a goodbye in the same posting. Mojito (aka Mo) was born on February 12th, 2026, purchased from Ranch and Home on February 15th, and then accidentally injured (by a young child who squeezed her too hard) on approximately February 17 or 18th. At 5 or 6 days old, Mojito’s leg was broken and damaged in multiple locations. She could no longer walk and had a hard time moving to access food and water. She was this way for 34 days.
We were contacted to see if we could take Mo and get her medical care on March 24th. We picked her up the next day. Mojito was smaller than the other chicks she was with, even though the other chicks were 2 weeks younger.
Mojito’s legs and her determination to move
Mojito sustained an obvious leg injury. Her left leg could only really go behind her, and it was at an awkward angle. This meant that to balance herself, Mo extended her right leg forward or off to the side, whichever helped her move. Mo’s greatest challenge with her legs was to get the left leg to move forward on its own. She had strength in her leg and could curl her toes, but she, no matter how much and often she tried (which was a lot), couldn’t get her left leg to swing forward. After our first few days with Mo, as she learned she could fly a little, she would move herself around by leaping up and using her wings. Mo was determined to move. She fought with every bit of her being to be mobile. This action could get her close to her food and water, and if she could pin her legs against her blankets or the wall of the cage, she could stand and drink.
2 weeks after we got her, when she would leap with her wings, she started to dip to the left side. Her left leg was getting worse. Her body was outgrowing what her legs could support. She could no longer get herself upright when she tried to move herself, which was extremely worrisome and exhausting for Mo. She also had to lean against blankets or her stuffed animal for support. By this point, we had already brought Mo to a local vet, who could not help her, and we had 2 different vet appointments with Avian/exotics specialist for April 18th and May 7th to see what could be done to get her mobile and independent. To keep Mo healthy and comfortable, we brought her food and water every 30-60 minutes, and she spent most of the day in our laps. Mojito was our lap chicken. This is where she was happiest.
Mojito’s medical outlook
Given Mojito’s decline in mobility, we drove for 3.5 hrs to for an emergency appointment at the Center for Bird and Exotic Animal Medicine, located in Seattle. Mo’s prognosis was bad. Her left leg tibia/fibula was curved, and the joint to the metatarsal was rotated 45+ degrees (see photo’s below). Her right leg had been compensating for so long that she developed splay leg. To fix her left leg, the vet would have to break her curved bone, remove a piece of the bone, and then reattach the bone, ideally so it would be straight. The vet would also need to reconnect all of the blood vessels and nerves. The outlook for success was low, and the outlook for sustained pain was high. In addition, Mo would need to wait 2-3 months to grow to near full body size. In addition to that, the overall success rate further decreased as her right leg was also in bad shape. The vets we saw said if Mo had received immediate medical care at the time of the injury, her prognosis would have been much better. Birds’ bones heal very quickly, so if their bones are broken or damaged, time is of the essence for them to live a normal or near-normal life.
17 days of love and care
Mo was driven to Seattle in Jennifer’s lap on April 11th, 2026. She napped in her blanket and in Jennifer’s hands. She watched what she could see of the world go by. She was tended to. She was talked to, and she talked back. She loved her people. And her people loved her. Before the vet helped Mojito pass, Mo was cuddled, kissed, and we pet her between her wings and the back side of her neck (her favorite places to be pet) as she entered a deep sleep.
Mojito is back at the sanctuary. She was placed near Florence, as Flo always wanted to be a mom. My hope is that Mo is now with Florence, who I know will love and care for her.
