Chick Physical Therapy

[nurse_turtle]

Short version:

Dad brought me a 4 week old brown leghorn cockerel with a large crop. He has reportedly been flailing around and unable to stand. He is resistant to bend his legs at the knee and so by pushing outward, he continues to fall on his bum. His crop felt like there was a clump of modeling clay and I eventually performed crop surgery which he tolerated well. I can feel a quarter sized mass of food on his lower left abdomen but since crop surgery has pooped several times. He is hungry and thirsty and takes food and water readily when I hold him upright. He seems off with his pecking precision. He's pecking off to the left and seems to not have good control over his head and neck movements. I'm wondering if he has experienced some kind of organ failure or brain damage because he was malnourished and ill. I'm not sure how much I should try to do for him. I have created a PT sling from a trouser sock, kind of like a Johnny-Jump-Up, to help his strengthen his legs. All advice is welcome and I realize he most likely will not make it and am prepared to euthanize at the first signs of suffering.

 

[CMV]

No advice. I just wanted to congratulate you for a job well done. Even if he doesn't make it, you have gone above and beyond to give him the best possible chance. Not too many roosters have that.

Good luck with him.

 

[nurse_turtle]

He seems to be improving today. Today was his last chance day. If he wasn't able to get to and consume food and water without my help, I was going to euthanize. As I'm typing, he is eating chick kibble all by himself. He is still very unstable on his feet but is standing more with his ankles than on his knees. He has much improved control of his head and neck movements and is accurate with pecking. He's a pooping machine and the hard mass in his tummy seems to be smaller. Physical therapy continues and I hope I can move him to a larger brooder tomorrow. I've named his "Stubby".