I thought I'd start a thread to jot down the trials and tribulations of my gimpy little chick. Meet Cleopatra, she has a slipped tendon that although I've had her seen by two vets, can not be fixed. She's never had trouble getting around, nor eating/drinking so how could I not give the tot a chance at life? She walks goofy, but I've never seen her fall over. My chickens are my pets, just so happens this little one will always have special needs.
She seems to do best in a figure 8 wrap {vet wrap} on that leg, I've tried various things. I separated her from the brooder of 7 and she's happy in a brooder with only two of her sisters, who I named Isis and Anubis. They were the most mellow of all the others and have proven to be great friends for their handicap sister.
I don't know how long she'll live, if this leg will ever get to the point of not being able to hold her weight as she matures or what. But the kid's a fighter and an angel for her treatments. I stretch her gimpy leg every time I rewrap her leg, she's on poly vi sol vitamins and epsom salt soaks.
When I decided to give her a chance, I ordered a "handicap coop" for just her and her two friends. Low to the ground so the ramp won't be too steep and I'll probably have to add sides to the ramp too, we'll see how she does with it first though. The windows on each side will also be low for her viewing pleasure and the roosting bar only 3" above the ground, that could possibly need a ramp too at some point or who knows, maybe I'll be able to raise it. It'll also be wired for electricity with a light switch, outlets and a lamp outlet thingy. I'm building an expansion on our current coop for the additions to the flock this year and still have a ways to go with that, so figured I'd slurge and save myself the work of building one for these three.
Here she is with her buddies enjoying an orange sprinkled with oatmeal.
Cleopatra on the left, Anubis {speckled sussex} in the middle and Isis {silver laced wyandotte} on the right.
Today I partitioned off the flock and let these three outside for the first time today. It was only for about 20 minutes because I didn't want Cleopatra over doing it on that leg. I think they enjoyed it by the running around and flapping they did
She seems to do best in a figure 8 wrap {vet wrap} on that leg, I've tried various things. I separated her from the brooder of 7 and she's happy in a brooder with only two of her sisters, who I named Isis and Anubis. They were the most mellow of all the others and have proven to be great friends for their handicap sister.
I don't know how long she'll live, if this leg will ever get to the point of not being able to hold her weight as she matures or what. But the kid's a fighter and an angel for her treatments. I stretch her gimpy leg every time I rewrap her leg, she's on poly vi sol vitamins and epsom salt soaks.
When I decided to give her a chance, I ordered a "handicap coop" for just her and her two friends. Low to the ground so the ramp won't be too steep and I'll probably have to add sides to the ramp too, we'll see how she does with it first though. The windows on each side will also be low for her viewing pleasure and the roosting bar only 3" above the ground, that could possibly need a ramp too at some point or who knows, maybe I'll be able to raise it. It'll also be wired for electricity with a light switch, outlets and a lamp outlet thingy. I'm building an expansion on our current coop for the additions to the flock this year and still have a ways to go with that, so figured I'd slurge and save myself the work of building one for these three.
Here she is with her buddies enjoying an orange sprinkled with oatmeal.
Cleopatra on the left, Anubis {speckled sussex} in the middle and Isis {silver laced wyandotte} on the right.
Today I partitioned off the flock and let these three outside for the first time today. It was only for about 20 minutes because I didn't want Cleopatra over doing it on that leg. I think they enjoyed it by the running around and flapping they did
