I have a mille fleur d'uccle rooster who is about 10 weeks old. He is the sweetest, gentlest, guy and his name is Runty Roo.
He was the smallest of the group of 6. Anyway, being so small, he was always at the bottom of the heap to stay warm- even when the heat lamp was on them and it was 90 degrees in there- he was always under someone. I noticed he was acting funny- not walking around, just sitting there. Picked him up, looked him over, his legs were all bunched up under him.
Into the house for intensive care and physical therapy. (God love my husband for his tolerance!) Got him on vitamins and and leg stretches and he came around. He still does not walk around like a normal bird. He prefers your lap. Will fall asleep tucked into your shirt or pocket. I carry him around in my shirt pocket while doing house work.
If I put him on the floor, he'll walk around a bit, but won't wander far from the food. Even when my dog sticks her nose under him he doesn't go any where. He CAN walk though now. But when he stands still he is is wobbly like a person with Parkinson's ( sorry, don't mean to offend- just describing). He kinda rocks around in place.
Ok, so I decided he was as rehabbed as he was going to get and out into the coop he goes. (did do the daily temp drop to get him ready to go out) He is still very small compared to his hatch mates. He looks like a 5 weeks old bird. Failure to thrive? Anyway, by one in the morning I couldn't stand it and went to check on him. He was all alone, standing at the coop door, head tucked under, shivering like crazy. Back into the house.
Repeat three times while clicking heels together: there will be no house chickens, there will be no house chickens, there will be no house chickens.
What do I do? Any suggestions?
Do I put him back out and let him freeze to death? It is do or die time for him, literally. He cannot live forever alone in the house. I don't have what it take to cull him- he is too sweet and trusting.
The rest of the birds are integrating into the already established flock and if he does not go out now...repeat heel clicking...
He was the smallest of the group of 6. Anyway, being so small, he was always at the bottom of the heap to stay warm- even when the heat lamp was on them and it was 90 degrees in there- he was always under someone. I noticed he was acting funny- not walking around, just sitting there. Picked him up, looked him over, his legs were all bunched up under him.
Into the house for intensive care and physical therapy. (God love my husband for his tolerance!) Got him on vitamins and and leg stretches and he came around. He still does not walk around like a normal bird. He prefers your lap. Will fall asleep tucked into your shirt or pocket. I carry him around in my shirt pocket while doing house work.
If I put him on the floor, he'll walk around a bit, but won't wander far from the food. Even when my dog sticks her nose under him he doesn't go any where. He CAN walk though now. But when he stands still he is is wobbly like a person with Parkinson's ( sorry, don't mean to offend- just describing). He kinda rocks around in place.
Ok, so I decided he was as rehabbed as he was going to get and out into the coop he goes. (did do the daily temp drop to get him ready to go out) He is still very small compared to his hatch mates. He looks like a 5 weeks old bird. Failure to thrive? Anyway, by one in the morning I couldn't stand it and went to check on him. He was all alone, standing at the coop door, head tucked under, shivering like crazy. Back into the house.
Repeat three times while clicking heels together: there will be no house chickens, there will be no house chickens, there will be no house chickens.
What do I do? Any suggestions?
Do I put him back out and let him freeze to death? It is do or die time for him, literally. He cannot live forever alone in the house. I don't have what it take to cull him- he is too sweet and trusting.
The rest of the birds are integrating into the already established flock and if he does not go out now...repeat heel clicking...
