BillieVerdin
In the Brooder
- Apr 16, 2022
- 7
- 21
- 23
RoyalChick, you’re so dedicated!
I could not find a video of avian neurological exam, but the following link shows a dog neuro exam - the foot flipping in particular can be seen starting around 2:54. I can try to film it with my own birds tomorrow to give a better idea.
I apologize if I explain things that you or anyone else already knows or has already mentioned - it is not my intention to ”mansplain“ to folks that are very experienced. Im just geeking out - I am a total nerd when it comes to chickens.
It’s a difficult decision and the cost/benefit analysis plays out differently for everyone. I can describe what’s affected my decisions when I’ve been in similar situations.
First, the bird’s age. If this were an adult, this situation would have a much larger negative impact on her well being. She is young. This is good - she can adapt much more readily to a mobility handicap if she’s still developing. Her nervous system, her muscles, her bones - going forward, as she grows all these systems should develop in a way that helps compensate and adjust for the handicap. She is more likely to be able to accommodate her handicap not only physically but mentally as well - shes still learning about the world and how to navigate in it and she may very quickly (not super quickly, but in like a couple weeks) learn how best to move around. She is also less likely to be ostracized or otherwise suffer social costs like most adult chickens do when they have a handicap. Her peculiarities will become more familiar to her fellow chickmates - theyre less likely to be buttheads about it.
Second, which should actually be first, she’s eating and drinking and bopping about judging from the videos. She is sprightly. Obviously if she weren’t eating or drinking, your decision would be much simpler.
So if we assume that she can learn to get around well enough with perhaps a few furniture modifications - although it can be good to keep a few challenging things around for her to navigate as well - and that any social costs she experiences will be/are mild, then what I believe is the main aspect to consider is whether or not the physical integrity of that leg can be maintained. I believe she would very likely need to have shoes (tall boots?) on for the rest of her life. You would become very, very proficient in bandaging chicken feet. She would become very accustomed to you handling her. One of my own chickens has to wear shoes everyday for the rest of her life - you don’t have to change them everyday, though you could if you want, but regardless, that’s a whole other topic. I believe her foot would need to be shod for basically forever to a) keep it in a functional position, and b) protect the skin from abrasions and pressure sores. I echo Kris5902’s suggestions - restricting abduction of leg would likely be important. The physical therapy you’re doing may well continue to be valuable because tendons and ligaments can tighten or loosen from disuse, restricting the mobility of the limb and probably leading to other problems that Are another topic. But she’s going to use that leg to help her get around however she can, without necessarily respecting the limb’s natural or ideal range of motion. She may never use it as intended, but if we can encourage her to develop with it at least pointing forward instead of to the side, she is less likely to get it caught on things, etc. But often overlooked is the fallout from pressure sores. Without shoes, it appears she would be supporting her weight on the back of her foot/toes. The skin on the bottoms of our feet is highly specialized to deal with tremendous pressure and shear. The skin on the tops of our feet is not specialized in the same way. That skin on the top of her foot/toes is not built to handle the friction, etc involved in moving her weight. It will become damaged and develop wounds. Left long enough, such wounds can become very painful and lead To infection. She may or may not feel the pain, but she could certainly become infected. Rewatching some of the videos, there seems to be variation in how she supported herself on her bum leg pre-shoe. I would be concerned about pressure sores of the hocks as well.
Her chickmates would be crucial in encouraging to move around. FOMO can be a powerful motivator for chickens to get up and going. If she becomes very sedentary, spending hours at a time lying down, then she needs to be encouraged to move more, or she’ll get keel sores as well and poor bone development, etc. If she’s going to adapt to living with this leg, then she would need to be moving regularly. She would likely always be more sedentary than her chickmates, but we wouldn’t want the difference in activity to be too large.
However, I relate all this without having really seen the bird and without laying hands on the bird, so I’m making assumptions about her situation that may not be accurate.
Also, I’m assuming she isn’t a giant breed. If she were a Jersey Giant or broiler, her prognosis would be graver. Then again, broiler health prospects are usually dismal to begin with.
I could not find a video of avian neurological exam, but the following link shows a dog neuro exam - the foot flipping in particular can be seen starting around 2:54. I can try to film it with my own birds tomorrow to give a better idea.
I apologize if I explain things that you or anyone else already knows or has already mentioned - it is not my intention to ”mansplain“ to folks that are very experienced. Im just geeking out - I am a total nerd when it comes to chickens.
It’s a difficult decision and the cost/benefit analysis plays out differently for everyone. I can describe what’s affected my decisions when I’ve been in similar situations.
First, the bird’s age. If this were an adult, this situation would have a much larger negative impact on her well being. She is young. This is good - she can adapt much more readily to a mobility handicap if she’s still developing. Her nervous system, her muscles, her bones - going forward, as she grows all these systems should develop in a way that helps compensate and adjust for the handicap. She is more likely to be able to accommodate her handicap not only physically but mentally as well - shes still learning about the world and how to navigate in it and she may very quickly (not super quickly, but in like a couple weeks) learn how best to move around. She is also less likely to be ostracized or otherwise suffer social costs like most adult chickens do when they have a handicap. Her peculiarities will become more familiar to her fellow chickmates - theyre less likely to be buttheads about it.
Second, which should actually be first, she’s eating and drinking and bopping about judging from the videos. She is sprightly. Obviously if she weren’t eating or drinking, your decision would be much simpler.
So if we assume that she can learn to get around well enough with perhaps a few furniture modifications - although it can be good to keep a few challenging things around for her to navigate as well - and that any social costs she experiences will be/are mild, then what I believe is the main aspect to consider is whether or not the physical integrity of that leg can be maintained. I believe she would very likely need to have shoes (tall boots?) on for the rest of her life. You would become very, very proficient in bandaging chicken feet. She would become very accustomed to you handling her. One of my own chickens has to wear shoes everyday for the rest of her life - you don’t have to change them everyday, though you could if you want, but regardless, that’s a whole other topic. I believe her foot would need to be shod for basically forever to a) keep it in a functional position, and b) protect the skin from abrasions and pressure sores. I echo Kris5902’s suggestions - restricting abduction of leg would likely be important. The physical therapy you’re doing may well continue to be valuable because tendons and ligaments can tighten or loosen from disuse, restricting the mobility of the limb and probably leading to other problems that Are another topic. But she’s going to use that leg to help her get around however she can, without necessarily respecting the limb’s natural or ideal range of motion. She may never use it as intended, but if we can encourage her to develop with it at least pointing forward instead of to the side, she is less likely to get it caught on things, etc. But often overlooked is the fallout from pressure sores. Without shoes, it appears she would be supporting her weight on the back of her foot/toes. The skin on the bottoms of our feet is highly specialized to deal with tremendous pressure and shear. The skin on the tops of our feet is not specialized in the same way. That skin on the top of her foot/toes is not built to handle the friction, etc involved in moving her weight. It will become damaged and develop wounds. Left long enough, such wounds can become very painful and lead To infection. She may or may not feel the pain, but she could certainly become infected. Rewatching some of the videos, there seems to be variation in how she supported herself on her bum leg pre-shoe. I would be concerned about pressure sores of the hocks as well.
Her chickmates would be crucial in encouraging to move around. FOMO can be a powerful motivator for chickens to get up and going. If she becomes very sedentary, spending hours at a time lying down, then she needs to be encouraged to move more, or she’ll get keel sores as well and poor bone development, etc. If she’s going to adapt to living with this leg, then she would need to be moving regularly. She would likely always be more sedentary than her chickmates, but we wouldn’t want the difference in activity to be too large.
However, I relate all this without having really seen the bird and without laying hands on the bird, so I’m making assumptions about her situation that may not be accurate.
Also, I’m assuming she isn’t a giant breed. If she were a Jersey Giant or broiler, her prognosis would be graver. Then again, broiler health prospects are usually dismal to begin with.
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. And sometimes she flies/runs/flails her way to join them in whatever nonsense they are up to. She even got up on the branch. I wouldn’t say she perched exactly, but she didn’t fall off!
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