- Sep 1, 2008
- 10
- 0
- 22
I have a 9 week old mutt baby. She kind of remimds me of an australorp. She was hatched with 14 other babies who all crackled and peeped within hours of each other from beginning to end. The eggs were from several different hens but some hens each donated several eggs to the hatching. Nothing notable about the batch except that one baby did not survive the 24hour mark. We aquired these birds when they were around 4 days old. They were kept inside for the next 5 weeks and then moved outside with our other 5 chicks who are roughly 7 weeks older. Everyone gets along great. Eat and sleep well together. Everyone growing fast. 2 are smaller than the others by a good bit but doing ok. This one, Fuzzy, has not feathered out as well as the other small one or the others for that fact. Good outside feathering but under wings is still bald. Fast forward to 14 days ago. We find her laying in coop. Bring her in. Do the gatorade thing and feed. Hours later good to go. Relapse 36 hours later. Same thing.. but keep her in the house for 2 days this time. DH says she wants to be an inside chickie. Put her back out.. does ok... Then Thursday afternoon come home to her lying on her side again.. Only this time... She has not gotten better. She has parallysis type symptoms. Not being able to hold up on her own. Temors as if she is cold but it is almost 85 where she is being kept. Lays on side often. However, if she gets upset with me. She can flap her wings, move her head (which she does this often on her own) and rigid leg stands although it is as if she is not sure where she is placing them. Most times she is eating on her own.. We are offering the pedialyte water and feed that is watered down to a runny pudding consistancy as to ensure she is getting enough water and it seems easier for her to eat on her own as she tires easily. Most of the time her legs are out in front of her.. Others she is layed on her side. I have been propping her with a towel to give her a more natural position several hours a day.. She can hold the position on her own for a very short while...which is why i have been using the towel. Any ideas of what she has or if she will get better? Her comb has always been black in color.. No change there..
I have read that maybe I am doing her no justice in keeping her alive.. That their will to eat is so great that they will keep eating instead of dying. She still chirps and in her eyes she still has that perky look. If she would show for more than a few hours at a time that it was her time I would have dh help her along. But she has that perky look and she does still try to do things on her own.. And I will help give her a fighting chance if that is what she wants.. What to do?????
I have read that maybe I am doing her no justice in keeping her alive.. That their will to eat is so great that they will keep eating instead of dying. She still chirps and in her eyes she still has that perky look. If she would show for more than a few hours at a time that it was her time I would have dh help her along. But she has that perky look and she does still try to do things on her own.. And I will help give her a fighting chance if that is what she wants.. What to do?????
