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[oesdog]

Quote:
Sorry about your chick - the only site I know to help with that kind of thing is https://sites.google.com/a/larsencreek.com/chicken-orthopedics/leg-braces
Long shot I guess but those legs have to last a long time and if there not able to be fixed I guess cull is the only answer really. Sad thing is that its always the pretty ones! Like us with our chicks - the only hens were the horrible grotty black ones and the beautiful ones were all Roooooooooooo boys. 2 of which are now gone to the great chicken coop in the sky!

Oesdog

 

[karl E lutz]

Good morning chicken wranglers
Chicks my condolences.
Hot yesterday and again today,100's I think,feels like it anyhow.I came to work at 3:00am again to beat the heat,I have to get a felt roll repaired for the paper mill today. They are having a down day and I am ever so glad that they did not ask us to work inside the mill today.
I have to call home and get the 12 year old going on the farm work or he will slack,ya'll have a good day God bless!

 

[quercus21]

Morning People

Chick: How bad is the toes? We have a hen here that was given to us that had 2 toes that went close to 50 degs (looked painful). From what I read, it might have been from a nutritional deficiency. She ate and drank good, no one picked on her etc. Today she is laying good and her toes have a slight (you have to look for them) crook to them. She had the same feed as all the other birds, but they also get "treats" (table scraps - veggies,fruits,nuts to scratch grains.

Karl: I know about the heat, we have been getting it here. Today is supposed to be the last of the heat. I puddle up during the mid day and solidify during the cooler parts. I keep the shop all closed up, but I hear it from people, " You should have a open sign when you are here". So I give them that "deer in the head light look".

Made 12 8oz jars of cherry jam yesterday. Picking has been really bad so far with all the rain we had in the late spring/early summer. The garden is just starting to dry out. One more week for the meaties. They are a different bunch this year.

Stay cool and enjoy the day

 

[rancher hicks]

Morning people,

trying to get dd and hers ready to go pick berries for jam and jelly. goose and rasp and currants and whatever else they have. Have got to make a list of how much of each.

Over cast today but warm , thank the Lord. Would to God NY had another month of warm weather. Bro. Moved to N.C. but he has a dd there and is older and not in the best of health. Still I hope it helps his dw.

Chickens have picked up a bit in laying and I have about 6 small eggs in the house. Which i don't mind. Still there is lots to do and that's good too.

Take care and have good day,

Rancher

 

[chics in the sun]

Quercus, I think it's pretty bad. I gave it extra vitamins and put 'shoes' on it to un-curl the toes, but I think it may also be an issue with the hip joints some how. Here it is:

I should have gone ahead and done it before the girls go here. I guess I was still wating to see if they would staighten up, but they are getting worse. Now the youngest one keeps picking it up and talking to it (partly because it's the only one that is easily caught).

 

[oesdog]

Quote:
Oh pet - it does look really bad chicks - birth defect. I don;t think the poor wee might will ever be able to use them properly. Unless your prepared to have a disabled bird in a cradle that needs constant care all the time and will never function or have the life of a chicken, as we know it. There isn;t really much that would seem to be able to be done for this little one. As it grows the weight on those legs will cause him so much pain and to prevent that he would need kept in a suspended cradle - thats ok for tempory things that can heal in time but a life like that isn't very good for a chicken. Honey how could this wee one ever scrabble for worms and dig a dust bath, roost or chase the others in a game over a bit of food. How can it compete for food and water and a pecking order???? I know you are feeling so bad right now honey but it doesn;t look very good and the prognosis doens;t look very positive long term what a terrible shame for this poor wee thing.

Thanks for showing us the pics so we can see what your up against. Will pray God helps you make right choices for this one what ever you decide. Take time to talk to others who have birds with these kinds of issues.

you don;t have to cull its just one option but longterm this wee might isn;t going to be able to live in the coop with the others. Are you prepared to have a house guest who is a pet and nothing more. As long as its not in pain???????? You will need to rig up a cradle to keep the legs and bum off the ground. Its a lot of work but has been done!!!!!! He will never live a "chicken life" he will live the best life you give him if you keep him honey. But you cannot let him bum about or he will get sores and he cannot stand or it will cause terrible pain longterm. He needs a chicken wheelchair!!!!!!!! Can your BF create one for him????????? There was a cockrall on BYC here that used one!

Oesdog

 

[quercus21]

Quote:
I'm no "chicken doctor" but it looks like you have curled toes. Our bird, when it's feet were "flat" on the ground 2 toes went in different directions at the joint.

check this out: http://poultrykeeper.com/chickens/health/crooked-and-curled-toes-in-chicks.html

insufficient Riboflavin?

 

[rancher hicks]

Many time this happens when it take the chick too long to get out of the egg and oxygen doesn't get to the legs and/or feet. This is what I was told at the ALBC conference when it was advised NOT to help chicks hatch.

I guess it depends on how much time you have to devote to this one chick/chicken as to whether or not to cull. Lord have mercy I'd not have anytime for anything if I kept every chick that had such problems.

Sorry,

rancher

 

[karl E lutz]

I would say cull Chicks, n I know it seems heartless, but it really is not.

 

[chics in the sun]

Yep, I think you are right, Quercus. I started the vitamins (which do include Riboflavin) as soon as I realized it's feet were not right. I'm not sure exactly how old it was at that point - no more than two days. Sammy is so protective I couldn't get a good look at them right away, and I didn't want to disturb her while she worked on hatching the last egg (which didn't hatch). I even tried to prop it up with a piece of paper towel roll so the legs would be straight under it with the shoes to keep the toes flat. The 'sitting on it's haunches' part describes exactly what it does all day. I think I will do it tomorrow while the girls are still asleep.

And I don't think it's heartless, Karl. I really do think it is in pain with the haunches all swollen up like that. And it cries all day.

Just to add to my crummy week - I lost my first hen today. That little SLW that I got at a swap on impulse has been hopping back and forth over the gate. It never left the area along the alley just outside the gate, and I meant to get around to clipping it's wings. For whatever reason today it decided to go across the alley and fly INTO my neighbor's yard - in full view of their husky mix. At least it was very quick. I had glanced out the window just as she flew in, and before I could even screem "Oh *(#$!" she was gone. My neighbors were so appologetic, but it's not their fault my hen was either incredibly stupid or suicidal.