12/05/2024
Restoration of a Chicken Skeleton
Since I haven't posted anything here for a while, I'd like to share my latest project with you.
I was tasked by the vocational school teacher at the Zookeeper-School in Brake to restore the chicken skeleton from the teaching materials collection. As you can see in the left picture, the skeleton has suffered greatly over the years and was not optimally prepared beforehand. Rib and spine bones were broken, the posture didn't match that of a chicken (it would have tipped forward if alive in this position), and the feet were completely encased in a type of resin. Additionally, the limbs were loosely connected with simple external wires.
For the restoration, I first thoroughly degreased the skeleton, which fortunately also caused the resin blocks to detach from the feet. Then, I rewired the limbs, embedding the wires into the bones, resulting in not only improved stability but also a more appealing appearance. Finally, I glued all the connection points between the bones to make the skeleton very stable.
In the end, I also applied substrate in the form of wood shavings to the wooden base to provide a suitable (barnyard) environment for the chicken.
I'm very pleased with the outcome, the restoration was definitely worth it. What do you think?
