BOTH Chicken feet fell off!! Frostbite??

[Jessicamtorres93]

A few months ago I hatched six chicken eggs. All of them were healthy, except for one who had a limp leg. Her name is Lucy. After they were all fully feathered, I put them outside in the coop with the other chickens, after introducing them for a few weeks. Lucy was doing fine and was able to keep up with the other birds hopping on 1 foot. We had very cold weather around Christmas time, and one day when my husband went out to feed the chickens he found Lucy Frozen to the ground. Her bad leg that stuck out got caught in the chicken wire and she couldn’t move. He thought she was dead because she was super stiff and frozen. She moved her head the slightest bit so he quickly grabbed her and brought her inside. I wrapped her in a towel and hugged her to slowly raise her temperature.
Fast forward to now, she’s has been living inside my house ever since that happened. She’s eating and drinking fine and looks healthy. Today when I was cleaning out her pen, and picker her up, I noticed BOTH feet were gone! Could this have been Frost Bite?? I’m not sure what to do. I want to put her down, but she’s still so lively. She scoots around her pen and uses her wings for balance. Please let me know if anyone has any suggestions. Not sure why else this would have happened since all my chickens are healthy and doing fine. Thanks!

 

[NatJ]

Today when I was cleaning out her pen, and picker her up, I noticed BOTH feet were gone! Could this have been Frost Bite??

Yes, frostbite seems likely. Other kinds of injury occasionally can cause that too (like getting the stuck foot injured), but both feet in cold weather definitely sounds like frostbite.

I’m not sure what to do. I want to put her down, but she’s still so lively. She scoots around her pen and uses her wings for balance. Please let me know if anyone has any suggestions.

You could put her down. That's ultimately your decision to make.

Or you could keep her as a special-needs chicken. She would probably need special living arrangements, as she cannot walk, cannot stand up to eat or drink, and cannot perch. She may have trouble preening herself, and her belly feathers are likely to get very dirty because she drags herself around in whatever is on the ground (chicken droppings, mud, etc.) So you might need to bathe her sometimes to clean some of her feathers, and you would definitely need to keep her area extra-clean.

Some people do keep special-needs chickens as pets, either in the human house or in a pen adjacent to the flock, or sometimes with the flock, depending on how the chicken does in which place. Some of those chickens, and those owners, seem quite happy with the situation.

Some people (including me) are unable or unwilling to provide special care, so any chicken who cannot live normally gets put down, rather than suffering with unmet special needs.

Since she is your chicken, the final decision is yours to make.
Euthanizing cannot be undone, but keeping her alive today still leaves your options open for tomorrow. So if you are unsure, I would suggest you continue to care for her while thinking hard about her quality of life and your ability to provide what she needs. You may find that a few days or weeks will make the "right" decision obvious to you. ("right" meaning the one that is best for you and your chicken in this particular case. Not a statement of good/bad in a moral sense.)

 

[BelovedBirds]

A few months ago I hatched six chicken eggs. All of them were healthy, except for one who had a limp leg. Her name is Lucy. After they were all fully feathered, I put them outside in the coop with the other chickens, after introducing them for a few weeks. Lucy was doing fine and was able to keep up with the other birds hopping on 1 foot. We had very cold weather around Christmas time, and one day when my husband went out to feed the chickens he found Lucy Frozen to the ground. Her bad leg that stuck out got caught in the chicken wire and she couldn’t move. He thought she was dead because she was super stiff and frozen. She moved her head the slightest bit so he quickly grabbed her and brought her inside. I wrapped her in a towel and hugged her to slowly raise her temperature.
Fast forward to now, she’s has been living inside my house ever since that happened. She’s eating and drinking fine and looks healthy. Today when I was cleaning out her pen, and picker her up, I noticed BOTH feet were gone! Could this have been Frost Bite?? I’m not sure what to do. I want to put her down, but she’s still so lively. She scoots around her pen and uses her wings for balance. Please let me know if anyone has any suggestions. Not sure why else this would have happened since all my chickens are healthy and doing fine. Thanks!

Hi, I am so sorry to hear this, it must be extremely distressing.
First things first, could you get a photo of her legs and feet so that we can see how they look.
I'm not sure if this could have been frost bite, since she has been indoors since Christmas(?), I expect you would have seen discolouration and her toes dying before it spread to this extent. But I am no expert.

I'm not sure what else could have caused this.

Moving forward, if her legs heal up okay and she is still active, your next steps are up to you. With most hens, euthanasia would be the kindest option, however I feel it does depend on the bird.
It is possible for poultry to live disabled, Ive heard of anything from wrapping the stumps (to protect the remaining legs) to wheelchairs. However this kind of adaption heavily depends on the nature of the animal and how comfortable they are around people. There are definitely things you could at least try, and see how she goes, but it's up to you and what you think is best.
Though it is very unlikely she will do well outside with the flock. I believe most handicapped birds are kept as pets indoors, depending on the issue.

That's just my 2 cents based on other threads I've read.
I will call in the chicken experts, and hopefully they can offer you better explanations and advice. Wishing you and your hen the best of luck

@azygous @casportpony

 

[BelovedBirds]

Since she is your chicken, the final decision is yours to make.
Euthanizing cannot be undone, but keeping her alive today still leaves your options open for tomorrow. So if you are unsure, I would suggest you continue to care for her while thinking hard about her quality of life

VERY well said.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I'm not sure if this could have been frost bite, since she has been indoors since Christmas(?), I expect you would have seen discolouration and her toes dying before it spread to this extent

I have had awful bouts of frostbite this year with the sudden temperature plummets and absolutely hellish temperatures for some time. One thing I've noticed in every bird I have culled from frostbite is that it lingers in the foot and even can look rather normal at a glance, and then literally over night spread to the leg and kill it off. I'm more than okay to post an image of the result if wanted, just wanted to post my experience

 

[BelovedBirds]

I have had awful bouts of frostbite this year with the sudden temperature plummets and absolutely hellish temperatures for some time. One thing I've noticed in every bird I have culled from frostbite is that it lingers in the foot and even can look rather normal at a glance, and then literally over night spread to the leg and kill it off. I'm more than okay to post an image of the result if wanted, just wanted to post my experience

That is interesting
Do you think there's any risk to this hen's remaining legs?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

That is interesting
Do you think there's any risk to this hen's remaining legs?

Honestly, it's likely. But only if both were frozen or got blisters. Usually I have one die off, followed by the second within a few days.

 

[Willows Bend Farm]

A few months ago I hatched six chicken eggs. All of them were healthy, except for one who had a limp leg. Her name is Lucy. After they were all fully feathered, I put them outside in the coop with the other chickens, after introducing them for a few weeks. Lucy was doing fine and was able to keep up with the other birds hopping on 1 foot. We had very cold weather around Christmas time, and one day when my husband went out to feed the chickens he found Lucy Frozen to the ground. Her bad leg that stuck out got caught in the chicken wire and she couldn’t move. He thought she was dead because she was super stiff and frozen. She moved her head the slightest bit so he quickly grabbed her and brought her inside. I wrapped her in a towel and hugged her to slowly raise her temperature.
Fast forward to now, she’s has been living inside my house ever since that happened. She’s eating and drinking fine and looks healthy. Today when I was cleaning out her pen, and picker her up, I noticed BOTH feet were gone! Could this have been Frost Bite?? I’m not sure what to do. I want to put her down, but she’s still so lively. She scoots around her pen and uses her wings for balance. Please let me know if anyone has any suggestions. Not sure why else this would have happened since all my chickens are healthy and doing fine. Thanks!

Hi! If she is inside and warm i would be suprised if she had frost bite. We have a silkie rooster we hatched out with a limp leg and he has been doing great and we know hw to take care of him well, if she is livley otherwise pleas please dont put her down!! If you want to re-home her we will buy her from you guys in a heart beat, as i have a special place in my heart for disabled chicks please let me know as i will gladley take her! i am wishing you guys luck!

 

[BelovedBirds]

Honestly, it's likely. But only if both were frozen or got blisters. Usually I have one die off, followed by the second within a few days.

It may not tell us much, but I think some photos of this hen would be interesting to see

 

[coach723]

There have been cases where people have prosthetic legs made with 3D printers. You can do a search and find pictures of them and some sources. I've seen quite a few pictures of chickens with one prosthetic leg or foot, not sure I've ever seen one with two.