Amputated a chicken's leg today

[MissNibbles]

I am gonna try this with my chick. She is good spirited, and her leg is all bent crazy and flopping around getting caught on things. The foot itself is cold, and withered and looks dead. I don't know if she'll make it, but it's really a last attempt before I cull her. I have a LOT of little chicks, and she is much smaller then the others, I think if she could regain better mobility she would be eating more and be less picked on. I have seen her leg caught on things a few times already, and the other chicks peck at it. I'm glad to hear it's a possibility for her to live with just one leg. I would really hate to cull her.

 

[Jennasaur7]

You are so very brave for doing this. One of my birds is showing some very similar symptoms to Sweetie. I think you made the right choice and gave her a good second chance at life.

 

[twilightsparkle]

My uncle once had 3 baby brahamas with only 2 toes. They could barely walk and were really weak. They sadly all died. I wish they had the chance sweetie did but at least sweetie made it.My prayers are with you.

 

[Albatross]

UGH. Had to amputate a leg from a 2 year old RIR hen. Can't say it's going to be one of my treasured memories...but she had injured a leg in a really nasty way (the leg completely died) and no vets would see her here in the city. So I had to either chop off her leg or her head. Figured I'd start with the leg...well a week later, she is back outside with her roomie, eating, drinking, and hopping around, and my fingers are so crossed it hurts.

It still makes my stomach hurt thinking about it! But I guess ya just have to man up once in awhile if you want to have animals? We took as many precautions as possible, including sterilizing equipment, cleaning the stump, skin-gluing it, making her stay inside for a week, giving antibiotics...everything we could think of. Now it's up to her. So far she is a lot happier than she was with a dead stinking appendage hanging out from under her.

 

[Albatross]

It's been two weeks and the hen is still alive. She is out in the run with her buddy, and is hopping around, drinking, eating. I guess it's doable even though I should probably be freaking arrested for doing creepy home surgery on an animal. ****** gross. Not my proudest hour but...the hen is alive.

 

[Albatross]

For the record, the hen died about a month after the amputation. I think she was eggbound. I had been wondering how a one-legged hen could hunker down and grunt out an egg...well, she couldn't. She was 1.5 years old, so in her laying prime. Well, lesson learned.

 

[colleendice]

hi , I have a little chicken that I love she is sweet, and thriving. Her leg at the joint is twisted side ways. I know that she will need to have it rebroken, and placed straight , I don't know if I am strong enough to do that... I need to, just afraid it will kill her, did you use any pain killer, and was there a lot of blood, I am getting faint thinking about it. I have to help her tho. she is 6 weeks old

 

[colleendice]

I am sorry for your loss of your chicken. I have grown so attached to all of mine. I applaud you on doing what your heart told you to help her..

 

[Lucy Duck]

I just read this story as I recently (yesterday) acquired a five week old duckling with a leg injury. My cousin had this Khaki Campbell and told me the leg twisted about two weeks ago. Upon seeing the duckling I determined that this was NOT a birth or nutritional defect. I am quite sure that without her knowing one of her small children was holding the duckling and dropped it, breaking the leg at the "knee" bone and now the leg is turned in toward her other leg causing her to trip and mobility is difficult. It has healed that way. I have attempted to splint it as straight as possible but on Monday I am going to call the vet and see about amputating it. Also another reason why I took this ducking was because the other ducks started to peck at her until she was all bloody so she removed the injured duckling from the flock. I have seven ducks, one Pekin who lost his foot due to frost bite after a horrible weasel attack this past winter. He had fully healed, but I said I'd take this duckling because, well, she deserves a good chance. What I would like to know has anyone out there had to take a duck in to the vet for an amputation and how invasive was the surgery? I'm fairly certain she still has feeling in her "toes."

 

[ETphonehome]

Hi True Byc Addict, I have pigeon with a necrosed foot, could you please post a picture of the tool you used to cut the leg of your chicken?

If you do not have a pict of the same tool you used maybe you can find a pic of the tool similar on the internet to get the idea of the kind of tool I can use

Please if you want to help do not give me advise about what I should do in place of trying it myself...

in the video you can see the leg I will try to amputate myself.

by the way I have lots of experience with pigeons but it will be my first surgery attemp.

Thanks in advance for your practical help