HELP my sweet roo's time has come

[I_luv_chiks]

Perhaps a wheelchair, but if you believe that your Roo's time has come, and if you can afford it, you can have an avian vet put him down. If you decide to go this route, please ask that the vet give him a bit of anesthesia first. A chicken is euthanized with a needle to the heart. Not so great. But, with anesthesia, he'll just drift off to sleep first.

I feel your pain and wish you the best.

Thank you, we don't have an avian. But do have an amazing vet that I spoke to earlier and he said he would help. I guess now I need to really evaluate and think about him.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you, I have researched frostbite on here and other plus with a vet. But I will search and see if I can find that story. Yes he is still eating great and comes out for water loves his treats. Which is why I have been so conflicted....

It's good that you consulted the vet early on. Maybe take the rooster back to him and have him re-evaluated.

The article that was mentioned is probably this one. Some chickens can survive severe frostbite, it depends on the level of care they receive and commitment to rehabilitation.
The hen in question received vet care and extensive supportive care with a rescue and rehabilitation service. I suppose it all comes down to how much you are willing to make them endure.
http://www.poultrydvm.com/cases/henna

 

[I_luv_chiks]

I'm sorry to hear about Cookie

He is your rooster and you have evaluated him to determine that he is suffering and his time has come.
I respect your decision.
If a vet is an option, they can put him down for you. If not, then let your husband take care it since he has offered.
I know of nothing that you can give him, sometimes there is no easy out and you just have to get to the task at hand. I don't think any of us enjoy putting a much loved chicken down, but it's our responsibility to do what is right by them no matter how much it hurts the heart.

If you have photos you would like to share of the damage to his legs, others may be able to make suggestions for treating him. If the damage is severe like you mention, you would likely need to cage him in a place that is warm and tend to him several times a day. Sometimes that is not an option either. It takes a lot of time to rehabilitate an injured animal IF he can even be rehabilitated at all. Family, work and personal commitments all need to be considered before you take on long term full time care of a sick animal.

This past summer my other roo was attacked by my hens I'm honestly not sure why, but it was so bad by the time i got home from work the poor guy had a quarter size hole in his head I could see his skull it almost made me sick. Then he had no eyes i thought by God they picked his eyes out. So me being me I took him to my shed kept it heated the first few days were right I'm sure he was in shock. Poor baby couldn't even find his food so I would go out 4 to 5 times a day which is hard when i work and 3 kids and hand feed him and hold the water up to his mouth and finally after a month he was doing great and i seen a glimmer of hope I thought I was gonna have a blind chicken and I seseem the most beautiful sight and be seen me. The next day I got home and he had snuck out of shed and came running when he seen me. I feel like if I can save him then maybe its worth a try but I don't want him to suffer any more than he has to. I can't get a good pic because he doesn't like to hold still. I believe from what I have read that the pink at the top is new good tissue.

 

[I_luv_chiks]

I've been reading between the lines here and empathizing with what you are going through along with the little man in your life who loves Cookie Dough dearly.

Is there any chance that you could consult a vet and have the affected foot/leg amputated? I've read many posts about one legged chickens who get along quite well with only one wheel so to speak. Plus you have to understand that animals deal with such things a lot differently than humans. One leg? Cool, that's normal for me! And they go about their lives without ever missing the limb. I've seen it happen with dogs and cats that have lost a let or even two.

It might be worth a try and give your child more time with a beloved pet.

Bless you and please don't kick yourself. Keeping Chickens is a learning experience and we all make mistakes at one time or another. Trust me, we all understand what you are feeling right now. No matter what decision you make, it will be the right one for you and your family.

Thank you for being kind. When last spoken with vet . Good tissue was growing so we were waiting it out. He said normal it will fall off and then the work begins. I'm willing to try anything. This has weighed heavy on my mind and last night he got to me he looked defeated. Today is a new day. I'm getting ready to go check him and give treats. Hoping for a good day.

 

[I_luv_chiks]

It's good that you consulted the vet early on. Maybe take the rooster back to him and have him re-evaluated.

The article that was mentioned is probably this one. Some chickens can survive severe frostbite, it depends on the level of care they receive and commitment to rehabilitation.
The hen in question received vet care and extensive supportive care with a rescue and rehabilitation service. I suppose it all comes down to how much you are willing to make them endure.
http://www.poultrydvm.com/cases/henna

Yes I have read this it was one of the main stories with great pics that confirmed my roo had frostbite and to get him to the vet. He had come this far can't give up now.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you for being kind. When last spoken with vet . Good tissue was growing so we were waiting it out. He said normal it will fall off and then the work begins. I'm willing to try anything. This has weighed heavy on my mind and last night he got to me he looked defeated. Today is a new day. I'm getting ready to go check him and give treats. Hoping for a good day.

I think you need to see the vet again and let him evaluate the bird.

 

[Fluffnut]

I'm so sorry! If there is a chance at survival, I personally would keep him alive, but if I could no longer care for him, I would post (probably on here) to find someone who could. If I got no replies, then as a last resort I'd put him down- with lots of tears! Thats just my thought, but I am known for being a softie. I hope you find something that works for you!
P.S. If you know it's going to be cold, you can put Vaseline on feet, comb, and wattles to prevent frostbite.

 

[I_luv_chiks]

Question... would it be ok to put my poor roo in a warm bath with Epsom salt or can this be bad for his foot I worry it could cause it to break sadly.

 

[cottagecheese]

Are you giving him something for the pain? I don't have first hand experience with frostbite...

I was thinking about something, you know about the subconscious and the conscious mind, right? The subconscious is who we really are, our souls if you want... The conscious mind is the one described as a drunken monkey, easily distracted, rather easily influenced and so on.

So, your true self, your subconscious mind, knows what it wants, but the conscious mind had been leaned on by the dark side (only half joking here).
A worker for the dark side will whisper in your ear: "It's for the good of the chicken... Think of the chicken, not of yourself..." But, they never seem to care about the chicken's opinion. How do we consult the chicken? Simple, we check if it's eating and drinking. He'll let you know if he wants to go.

Last night, a literal life and death battle took place between your subconscious and your conscious mind. Your soul really really did not like one bit the pressure the conscious mind was putting on it, so it threw a tantrum, opening the waterworks, making you write a wall of text in the middle of the night, anything... to try to reach you.

On the other hand, practically speaking, of course no one should go overboard for an animal, but such was not the issue here. The issue was, see above.

Just my two cents.

 

[RoosterML]

I am a strong believer in if you have an animal you better be able to make the tough choices when they come. To me you have 2 choices. Take to vet and administrator pain meds or cull. To have an animal suffer because you "want" or "can't" bring yourself to do it is wrong. I believe you are correct it's time to make the choice now. As hard as it may be but to continue is just wrong. Personally I would cull. There is comfort in knowing he is no longer suffering and he has lived a good life.