TabbieFayth
Chirping
- Jan 19, 2019
- 46
- 37
- 64
Groot is close to a year old. He is an EE rooster, and is number 2 of my 3 roosters (or was, this has knocked down the totem pole).
Groot has been I'll since March 13th. We aren't sure what happened. On that day he was still normal and chasing the ladies, avoiding the alpha rooster. Later that evening, we found him in the 'duck' yard (no ducks, or anything live there. We had ducks there last year, and just a 3 foot fence divides chicken yard from this yard). Groot has never been a jumper or flier. We figure maybe he was being chased and just managed to jump over, maybe hurt himself? (No physical evidence of injury)
I noticed something was wrong the moment my husband went to get him. Groot always runs from us, or at the very least doesn't let you walk too close. And if he sees our big net, he definitely runs away. But that evening, he just stood there as my husband dropped the net, slowly on him. And still didn't move or fight it. Once back in his yard, I noticed he looked 'drunk'. I placed him in the transition/nursery coop outside.
Following morning, his neck was sideways, but he could still get up and down the ramp and sort of walk. But by the 15th, his neck was twisted all the way, he could no longer stand, eat or drink. That night we started him on selenium with vitamin e gel, about a pea size amount. And he has 'duckade' added to his water (poultry vitamins and electrolytes mix)
Fast forward to today. Still giving the gel daily. He can't stand. He does peck the floor of the dog kennel for food. Won't eat anything special (tuna, eggs, etc). Won't eat his dry feed from a dish. He won't drink on his own, no amount of beak dipping encourages him to take a sip. So instead, I've been using a dropper to get a small amount in him every evening.
How long do you typically wait before deciding things just will not get better? I don't want to give up on him, but his quality of life isn't great right now.
(I'm actually holding his neck below. If I didn't he would have it completely twisted and under him)
Groot has been I'll since March 13th. We aren't sure what happened. On that day he was still normal and chasing the ladies, avoiding the alpha rooster. Later that evening, we found him in the 'duck' yard (no ducks, or anything live there. We had ducks there last year, and just a 3 foot fence divides chicken yard from this yard). Groot has never been a jumper or flier. We figure maybe he was being chased and just managed to jump over, maybe hurt himself? (No physical evidence of injury)
I noticed something was wrong the moment my husband went to get him. Groot always runs from us, or at the very least doesn't let you walk too close. And if he sees our big net, he definitely runs away. But that evening, he just stood there as my husband dropped the net, slowly on him. And still didn't move or fight it. Once back in his yard, I noticed he looked 'drunk'. I placed him in the transition/nursery coop outside.
Following morning, his neck was sideways, but he could still get up and down the ramp and sort of walk. But by the 15th, his neck was twisted all the way, he could no longer stand, eat or drink. That night we started him on selenium with vitamin e gel, about a pea size amount. And he has 'duckade' added to his water (poultry vitamins and electrolytes mix)
Fast forward to today. Still giving the gel daily. He can't stand. He does peck the floor of the dog kennel for food. Won't eat anything special (tuna, eggs, etc). Won't eat his dry feed from a dish. He won't drink on his own, no amount of beak dipping encourages him to take a sip. So instead, I've been using a dropper to get a small amount in him every evening.
How long do you typically wait before deciding things just will not get better? I don't want to give up on him, but his quality of life isn't great right now.
(I'm actually holding his neck below. If I didn't he would have it completely twisted and under him)
