House chicken

[bcooper4]

She did eat a little dampened chick starter for a few days but has no interest in regular food...I really thought she would be long gone by now because I have read so much about the importance of diet to keep a chicken healthy....she is back to liking corn and a few peas but warm soggy bread - hand fed - is by far her favorite. How much longer can she survive?

 

[NatJ]

How much longer can she survive?

I have no idea.

I would certainly keep offering her the dampened chick starter, since you say she ate some of that.

Animals (and even people) can live a long time on a diet that is not perfect.
The first, most important thing is water (any liquid.)
The next most important is calories, and all the things you mention have some calories.
If other things are lacking (protein, vitamins, minerals) you will eventually start to see deficiencies, and finally death-- but it might be quite a while.

A chicken that is growing, laying eggs, or molting has much higher nutrititional needs than a chicken that is not doing any of those things. Since many female chickens grow, then lay eggs constantly except when they are molting, it is very important for them to have a good diet. Right now your hen is not doing any of those things, which means she can go longer before bad effects start appearing.

If you want her to keep living and stay healthy, you should try to get her back to an appropriate diet, but it's not something that MUST happen immediately.

she is back to liking corn and a few peas but warm soggy bread - hand fed - is by far her favorite. How much longer can she survive?

Soggy bread might not be too bad, depending on the bread (whole grain bread being better than white bread, for example). And if you can use something nutritious like egg yolks to make it soggy, that could also help. (Egg yolk is perfect for the first few days of a chick's life, and is pretty good for chickens of any age.)

I would try offering some warm soggy chick food, hand fed, and see if she'll accept that instead

 

[bcooper4]

Thanks for the input. I did not consider the fact that her lifestyle would impact her nutritional needs. My chicks have outgrown their starter feed but using egg yolk to soften the whole grain bread is a good idea. She gets a good soak in warm soapy water today to help clean her up. Had switched her bedding to finely chopped hemp and it sticks to her and then hardens so am definitely going back to hay. Any suggestions appreciated.

 

[NatJ]

My chicks have outgrown their starter feed

You could use layer food for her, but starter or grower is probably better for her if you have it. If she's not laying, she doesn't really need the extra calcium in layer feed. But if layer feed is the only kind of chicken food you have, I would certainly offer her some rather than buying a separate bag of something just for her.

 

[bcooper4]

Well it's almost Halloween and Winnie the house chicken is still livling in my laundry room in a rubbermaid container seemingly perfectly happy. I do put her outside sometimes to get some fresh air and sunshine and her previous best friend hops in with her for a while every time. If there is a lesson to be learned from this it would be that chickens are not as fragile and needy as they seem to be. She still loves her soggy bread and eats at least one whole piece per day. I add cat food, sometimes veggies that I prep for my dogs etc. but she she seems to be thriving. Her legs are completely useless and she is unable to even stand but she scoots around in her bin using her wings. I could never kill her because I don't believe it is possible for a human to estimate the pain and trauma of a "quick and painless" decapitation or spinal cord separation. Let's face the truth, if something is running around or convulsing after a proceduere, who is to say what they feel unless they have been there done that. If the time comes when she seems to be in pain or distress, I will probably be back looking for non violent euthanasia methods but until then she is happily eating her soggy bread and living the good life with her friends during the warm days.

 

[bcooper4]

Sad to report that on 11/09/21 Winnie the house chicken went to that great nest box in the sky. She had cleaned her plate about 8PM and I went to cover her and turn off the light about 10:45. I could hear her shifting around which was not unusual but I went back to hold her so she could get steady for the night. I was giving her a light massage and just talking to her about having a good night and she stretched our her head and died. No floundering, no sound, all over in less than 10 seconds. She is preceded in death by her best friend Dottie. She was a sweet. gentle girl though I called them my enforcers because Wyandottes do not put up with any nonsense. She will be missed.

 

[NatJ]

Sad to report that on 11/09/21 Winnie the house chicken went to that great nest box in the sky.

I'm sad to hear that she died, but I am glad that she was able to go peacefully at the end.

Thank you for updating.

 

[My Three Chicks]

Sad to report that on 11/09/21 Winnie the house chicken went to that great nest box in the sky. She had cleaned her plate about 8PM and I went to cover her and turn off the light about 10:45. I could hear her shifting around which was not unusual but I went back to hold her so she could get steady for the night. I was giving her a light massage and just talking to her about having a good night and she stretched our her head and died. No floundering, no sound, all over in less than 10 seconds. She is preceded in death by her best friend Dottie. She was a sweet. gentle girl though I called them my enforcers because Wyandottes do not put up with any nonsense. She will be missed.

I'm so sorry your sweet girl has passed. You obviously had a special bond with her. It's wonderful you were with her for her last breath. Sending you support and ❤

 

[mamajos]

Sorry for your loss. What a wonderful/peaceful experience you gave her in her last weeks.

 

[Boobumpbeanbear]

I'm so sorry for your loss, we had a rooster that was exactly the same. We made him a chicken wheelchair and he scooted round the house and the garden never gained the use of his legs but lived for almost a year like that, quite happy and loved his food.
We had to put him to sleep this week as he was starting to show signs of heart failure and not eating or drinking anymore.
Never did find out the reason why, we think he was possibly too heavy for his legs to hold him as he was a big bird.