6 month old chicken just became unable to walk please help!

[sissylaws]

Our 6 month old chicken has just became unable to walk. It has been wobbly since it was a few weeks old. We bought it at feed store out of straight run my daughter really wanted it. It has always been a big chicken. It was yellow as a chick but is white now. Im not sure what kind of chicken it is or if its a hen so if you can help with that it may be helpful to. My husband noticed it was in same position yesterday evening as it was when he went to let them out that morning it hadnt moved all day. Its legs are out in front. It is not acting sick or anything. It seems like it keeps trying to get up but cant. We took it out from the rest today and put it in enclosed cage alone with food and water. It is eating and drinking. When my husband picked it up he said it pooped and it was runny. We are new to this chicken stuff so we are learning but have no clue on this chicken it has been our mystery chick so if someone can please help us help this chicken! Our other chickens are not having any problems. We did notice that the chickens have some bugs dont know what they are but going to get closer look tomorrow. Here is a picture of how it looks

 

[chickenzoo]

Welcome to BYC... I'm afraid I don't have good news. She is a meat chicken...bred to put on as much weight as possible in a short life for processing. This leaves them with heart issues, leg issues from toting such heavy weight.... The only thing that might help is to put her on a crash diet. Her morbid weight is her problem. Feed stores should really label these chicks better so people don't get heart broken....

 

[BackyardFarmMom]

Oh no...
I am so sorry. She is a meat chicken. I agree better labeling is needed in some stores. I know my TSC just lumps them together after a while.
I know this sounds terrible, but if you could find someone willing to trade you another chicken in your area... maybe it would not be so hard on your daughter.
Silkies are great chickens for kids... They have more like fur than feathers... super soft. (they are easily picked on by others)
Or if you like the "chicken" look... amerucana and arucana breeds are great. AKA easter eggers (they lay light brown/pink, blue, or blue-green eggs)

Or she can have her forever home with you!

Good luck to you.

 

[chickenzoo]

At six months you can also check to see if she is egg bound. Feel from her legs to her tail..it would feel like an egg under a few towels.... Has she laid before. If the other chickens have bugs then you can dust them with Sevin dust, especially around the vent area.

 

[sissylaws]

Thanks for the help. I told my husband this morning that she was a meat chicken. We had been thinking that since she was a chick but we were hoping maybe she was gonna be our rooster out of the 6 we bought but as she got older we kinda figured she was just a big meat chicken we had hope that we was wrong and she just was fat. My husband talk to man he works with and they want her

. They say she is good and ready to eat.

So I guess she will go to them because we just cant do that to her shes been our baby and our baby girls' baby.

Guess we are going to look for a replacement. Does anyone know of a good bred thats not meat that may be white my daughter wants a white one. Thanks again.

this is awful I feel so awful for our baby chicken.

 

[BackyardFarmMom]

Silkies are great pets. They come in white, buff, blue, partridge, black... (chickenzoos avatar)
They are bantum sized and can be picked on by bigger girls.
Showgirls are pretty great too. They can be bantum sized but mine are more regular sized.

There are more breeds that can be white too
Leghorns