TIME TO CULL? Advise needed please..

[Lazy Farmer]

My original post was on Aug. 22nd in relation to this poor bird.
Her condition has become a lot worse.
First posted in "Raising Baby Chicks".. This is the link to the history of her condition:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/genetic-mutation-or-disease.1194521/
Below is a video from today, above is the photos prior to the neck twist.
She was treated for cocci, even though I did not find signs, but wanted to play it safe.

She now has what appears to have wry neck and only can walk backwards as well. She was born with what appears to be almost no neck.
We started her on a course of vitamin E today.

SHOULD SHE BE CULLED? Her hatch mates are larger and doing great.
Your opinions are valued. thank you, connie.

 

[bobbi-j]

You're the only one who can decide that. What is the purpose of your flock? Breeding stock? Pets? Food? Do you have time to fuss with a special needs chicken? Does she appear to be in pain or suffering? What is her overall condition?

Personally, I would probably cull her. I don't have time to take care of a special needs chicken and I don't know how she'd manage if put out with rest of the flock. My chickens free range. She'd be the first target of any predator. If you're wanting breeding stock, you definitely don't want to keep her.

As I said, that's what I'd do. There may be others here who are more experienced with what you're dealing with and might know if there is any way to treat her.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

In my opinion, it is best she is culled.

I doubt her quality of life will improve in time. Growth will actually make things worse.

I suspicion she has brain injury as well as poor spinal development. From your history, her neck bones may have been fused during hatch if she took too long to hatch or were that way from genetic defect.

Some special needs chickens can do well, as pets. So then it is your philosophy of chicken keeping...be they pets or be they livestock?

If you are attempting to keep a flock for sustained living, cull, cull, cull anything that is not hardy and healthy. You merely create a poor genetic pool for the flock, plus weaker birds you keep (even if you don't breed from them) act as vectors of disease to the flock. The weak ones literally become petri dishes for bacteria and viruses to share with the flock.

If they are pets, then you can make quality of life decisions. I find it hard to believe this animal will have good quality of life. It can't even walk or see to walk. I doubt it can eat on its own (?) As it grows, the stresses of the larger body are only going to make things worse.

So if vitamin deficiency treatment doesn't straighten things out to where it can have a semi-normal life, even as a pet, I would recommend culling. Animals don't contemplate life as we do (said after many years of animal training). They are much more simplistic. Life is either good or it isn't. They don't understand anything beyond that. As kind animal providers, it is our responsibility to make sure their life is pleasant.

My thoughts.
LofMc

 

[Lazy Farmer]

What is the purpose of your flock? Breeding stock? Pets? Food? Do you have time to fuss with a special needs chicken? Does she appear to be in pain or suffering? What is her overall condition?

Personally, I would probably cull her. I don't have time to take care of a special needs chicken

I feel like I am being selfish by saying I do not have time for the nursing. On the other side of the coin, it a craps shoot as far if she will pull thru. We only cull for food and have never to a life for any other reason.
Just hard to juggle the rest of the farm duties at the same time. Selfish to say.. But I have 18 goats, 10 pigs, turkeys and over 150 various poultry peeps to maintain mostly by myself.
More than just dumping feed over a fence. Again sounding selfish for eliminating a burden for a lighter load of responsibilities..

spicion she has brain injury as well as poor spinal development. From your history, her neck bones may have been fused during hatch if she took too long to hatch or were that way from genetic defect.

The rest of her body is growing with the exception of her neck. She is spunky and full of life. A part of me says to wait for treatment to show some sign of positivity. I have a soft heart for the challenged animals. It is a lot easier to cull a violent rooster than a defenseless deformed pullet.
Thank you both for helping me get this off my chest.

 

[junebuggena]

If it makes you feel any better, that barring looks male specific, so not likely a girl. Definitely something going on with this bird that is not healthy or normal.

 

[BonDEEroo]

You have obviously done your best to give her the best life she could have. There's no way she could have enjoyed any kind of life without your intervention.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Think of it this way...you aren't acting unkind to a defenseless animal, you are kindly acting on behalf of an animal that is defenseless and terrified.

Your bird has no way of understanding why life is so difficult, and it does not have the capacity to fend for itself, which for an animal, is terrifying. Again, they don't have the mental capacity for active imaginative thought as you and I do.

They instinctively live to survive in their world. It is very stressful for an animal when they are weakened to not be able to defend themselves. Animals are not stoic because of any internal platitudes; they know that if they show any weakness, they will be preyed upon.

When an animal can no longer hide its infirmity, it is very sick, and usually very frightened as it senses it can no longer defend itself.

So our "kindness" by prolonging their life is not giving them a kind life but usually is prolonging their fearful existence.

Some animals, who can hobble in an enclosed protected pen, get a sense that life is safe, they are fed, but usually they have the ability to control the closed environment. Take them out of that environment, and you quickly see an animal melt down...they hunker in fear, extremely stressed. Animals can die from that kind of stress.

So any animal not able to manage well in its surrounding is very stressed, which will further pay its toll on their health and well being.

Each animal owner must decide when it is best to provide a safe, protected, special environment, and when the animal is simply so stressed it is best to cull.

In this case, I think culling is best. You have a stressed animal.

LofMc

 

[bobbi-j]

I feel like I am being selfish by saying I do not have time for the nursing. On the other side of the coin, it a craps shoot as far if she will pull thru. We only cull for food and have never to a life for any other reason.
Just hard to juggle the rest of the farm duties at the same time. Selfish to say.. But I have 18 goats, 10 pigs, turkeys and over 150 various poultry peeps to maintain mostly by myself.
More than just dumping feed over a fence. Again sounding selfish for eliminating a burden for a lighter load of responsibilities..

The rest of her body is growing with the exception of her neck. She is spunky and full of life. A part of me says to wait for treatment to show some sign of positivity. I have a soft heart for the challenged animals. It is a lot easier to cull a violent rooster than a defenseless deformed pullet.
Thank you both for helping me get this off my chest.

There is nothing selfish about it. You have a farm to run, and I don't think of it as "eliminating a burden" so much as putting an animal that likely won't survive anyway, and will live a miserable life if it does, out of its misery. Honestly - sometimes that really is the kinder option for the animal.

Think of it this way...you aren't acting unkind to a defenseless animal, you are kindly acting on behalf of an animal that is defenseless and terrified.

Your bird has no way of understanding why life is so difficult, and it does not have the capacity to fend for itself, which for an animal, is terrifying. Again, they don't have the mental capacity for active imaginative thought as you and I do.

They instinctively live to survive in their world. It is very stressful for an animal when they are weakened to not be able to defend themselves. Animals are not stoic because of any internal platitudes; they know that if they show any weakness, they will be preyed upon.

When an animal can no longer hide its infirmity, it is very sick, and usually very frightened as it senses it can no longer defend itself.

So our "kindness" by prolonging their life is not giving them a kind life but usually is prolonging their fearful existence.

Some animals, who can hobble in an enclosed protected pen, get a sense that life is safe, they are fed, but usually they have the ability to control the closed environment. Take them out of that environment, and you quickly see an animal melt down...they hunker in fear, extremely stressed. Animals can die from that kind of stress.

So any animal not able to manage well in its surrounding is very stressed, which will further pay its toll on their health and well being.

Each animal owner must decide when it is best to provide a safe, protected, special environment, and when the animal is simply so stressed it is best to cull.

In this case, I think culling is best. You have a stressed animal.

LofMc

Very well put! I wish I had your way with words.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

She/he is self drinking and eating now. Especially the vitamins mixture. Removing the burden of me force drench/feed, which is a relief in a sense.
If the head does not correct it's self in a short while, we will have to end the misery. The bird's misery & my aching soft heart's. That is not quality of life for it to continue to grow more and more deformed until possible organ failure, pain and suffering.
Funny how these special needs animals can find that soft spot.
Bob was prepared to cull a week ago but I am the stubborn one who wants to keep the hope.
Anyway, thanks all for your kind advice.
connie

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Awww...Connie

I hope everything goes o.k. Even if this little one doesn't recover, you will know that you made an effort and can let him go more easily.