My poor lame girl

[grimresa]

Hi. I posted about my baby girl when I first got her in the spring. She had splay leg but it was not able to be fixed, so she continues to be unable to stand or even balance herself left to right or front to back. She leans to the right so her right side is getting irritated, losing her feathers and it seems they are causing her to bleed at times.

I keep her in a cage retrofitted to keep her in an upright albeit slanted position so she can access food and water. Since she does not get to walk around and peck on the ground, her beak is growing too long and needs to be trimmed. I tried trimming it with a battery operated nail file but I don't want to hurt her and it seems to take a really long time. Her claws need to be trimmed as well.

On top of that since her splay leg never healed and she cannot use her left foot, it is curling under so that she looks like she is kneeling on her knuckle.

I have brought her to the vet a few times. He doesn't think she is suffering or in pain, he said since she doesn't know any better, this is her life, and as long as I'm willing to care for her, she's fine. He did suggest a few things...he said to put her foot in a splint so that the knuckle folding stops...but I have not been successful in getting something to stay on her.

He also suggested I use a water based aloe spray on her sore side, which I have been doing. She is unable to clean herself properly, and often gets dirtied with her own poop, so I have to bathe her alot. She's not a fan lol. I don't immerse her in the water, but I do hold her for a few seconds at a time under running warm water to soften the poop, and I use a mild soap to help break it up.

I love this baby girl with all my heart, and I want her to have a happy life. But I need to know if I'm being selfish in keeping her alive in a world that she may not belong in anymore.

I have been wracking my brain trying to configure a solution that will allow her to sit upright without having to lean, without having to put any pressure on her feet, and that will allow her access to her food and water independently.

She is definitely not getting enough nutrition because she is skin and bones, but I do see her eat.

I am not looking for a cure for this, as I have tried everything, and this chicken will never walk. I have made wheelchair apparatuses but she is strong enough to jump out believe it or not!

I'm posting some pictures so you can see what's going on. Any advice you can give me is greatly appreciated.

Again, I do not want to put her down unless I am truly doing her a disservice by trying to keep her alive.

Thank you so much and God Bless!

 

[Debbie292d]

This is such a touching story.

You want to make this work, I can tell, but it's stressing you out a little. I get it. Like your vet said, she knows nothing else but you. You are her everything.

There is a baby parrot feed called Kaytee Exact with extra fat in it. I just bought a 5-lb bag at Chewy yesterday for my blind chick I recently rescued that's skin and bones too. That is a powder so you'd need a syringe to feed her unless she'd eat it out of a dish. You could put it with something else or put something in it to make it more enticing. That should work for both of us to fatten our cherubs plus give them an outstanding amount of nutrients.

I was thinking of laundry baskets I'd seen made into chairs by draping a curtain with holes in it, but you have one similar. I think that this, or something on this order would work out the best, no? You could get a TV tray or some table that you could put close with her food/water on it, and cut puppy pads in fourths to put under her butt, and roll another one up to go around her. I think a minor amount of pressure on her feet is therapeutic as that works muscles all the way up into her thighs. If those don't get exercise, they will atrophy.

Using the nail file maybe should be after you use a nail clipper to get a larger portion of her beak and/or nails, then use that to smooth it out. You only need very tiny snips. Keep flour or corn starch handy in case you'd make her bleed. Put a little of that on it and it would stop it. And don't feel bad, it happens!

As for the aloe vera, that sounds good but maybe once in awhile some type of gentle moisturizer as it looks dry to me.

You've already done so marvelous with her! I think you just need to get it down to the simplest ways for you to do what makes her happy.

 

[coach723]

I think your sling is the best option, it will make it easier for her to eat, drink and poop normally. If you are not giving vitamins, I would add that to what you are trying, the B's in particular can be really helpful. A b complex tablet or capsule once a day (human ones, brand doesn't matter) you can put in in her beak and push it back and she'll swallow it. You can make the sling portable and maybe take her outside for periods, you can hold it up (like a string puppet). She'd probably enjoy it and might inspire her to try to move. How much you are willing and able to do for her is entirely up to you. She doesn't appear to be suffering in your pictures, and that decision can always be made if things change.
This is an older thread discussing a similar bird, that with lots of help and therapy, did eventually walk:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-therapy-with-chicken-that-cant-walk.1385453/

 

[CombNWattles]

Hi. I posted about my baby girl when I first got her in the spring. She had splay leg but it was not able to be fixed, so she continues to be unable to stand or even balance herself left to right or front to back. She leans to the right so her right side is getting irritated, losing her feathers and it seems they are causing her to bleed at times.

I keep her in a cage retrofitted to keep her in an upright albeit slanted position so she can access food and water. Since she does not get to walk around and peck on the ground, her beak is growing too long and needs to be trimmed. I tried trimming it with a battery operated nail file but I don't want to hurt her and it seems to take a really long time. Her claws need to be trimmed as well.

On top of that since her splay leg never healed and she cannot use her left foot, it is curling under so that she looks like she is kneeling on her knuckle.

I have brought her to the vet a few times. He doesn't think she is suffering or in pain, he said since she doesn't know any better, this is her life, and as long as I'm willing to care for her, she's fine. He did suggest a few things...he said to put her foot in a splint so that the knuckle folding stops...but I have not been successful in getting something to stay on her.

He also suggested I use a water based aloe spray on her sore side, which I have been doing. She is unable to clean herself properly, and often gets dirtied with her own poop, so I have to bathe her alot. She's not a fan lol. I don't immerse her in the water, but I do hold her for a few seconds at a time under running warm water to soften the poop, and I use a mild soap to help break it up.

I love this baby girl with all my heart, and I want her to have a happy life. But I need to know if I'm being selfish in keeping her alive in a world that she may not belong in anymore.

I have been wracking my brain trying to configure a solution that will allow her to sit upright without having to lean, without having to put any pressure on her feet, and that will allow her access to her food and water independently.

She is definitely not getting enough nutrition because she is skin and bones, but I do see her eat.

I am not looking for a cure for this, as I have tried everything, and this chicken will never walk. I have made wheelchair apparatuses but she is strong enough to jump out believe it or not!

I'm posting some pictures so you can see what's going on. Any advice you can give me is greatly appreciated.

Again, I do not want to put her down unless I am truly doing her a disservice by trying to keep her alive.

Thank you so much and God Bless!

Your girl has the sweetest face
Focus on how all the effort you put into her care is the way you express your love for her. That’s what kept me going when I was caring for one of mine who couldn’t walk.
God bless you and your little bird.

 

[grimresa]

This is such a touching story.

You want to make this work, I can tell, but it's stressing you out a little. I get it. Like your vet said, she knows nothing else but you. You are her everything.

There is a baby parrot feed called Kaytee Exact with extra fat in it. I just bought a 5-lb bag at Chewy yesterday for my blind chick I recently rescued that's skin and bones too. That is a powder so you'd need a syringe to feed her unless she'd eat it out of a dish. You could put it with something else or put something in it to make it more enticing. That should work for both of us to fatten our cherubs plus give them an outstanding amount of nutrients.

I was thinking of laundry baskets I'd seen made into chairs by draping a curtain with holes in it, but you have one similar. I think that this, or something on this order would work out the best, no? You could get a TV tray or some table that you could put close with her food/water on it, and cut puppy pads in fourths to put under her butt, and roll another one up to go around her. I think a minor amount of pressure on her feet is therapeutic as that works muscles all the way up into her thighs. If those don't get exercise, they will atrophy.

View attachment 3965199

Using the nail file maybe should be after you use a nail clipper to get a larger portion of her beak and/or nails, then use that to smooth it out. You only need very tiny snips. Keep flour or corn starch handy in case you'd make her bleed. Put a little of that on it and it would stop it. And don't feel bad, it happens!

As for the aloe vera, that sounds good but maybe once in awhile some type of gentle moisturizer as it looks dry to me.

You've already done so marvelous with her! I think you just need to get it down to the simplest ways for you to do what makes her happy.

Thank you so much! I will pick up some of that feed and will watch a few youtube videos before attempting to clip her beak and claws! I continue to crunch ideas on how to create a more comfortable and entertaining environment for her. Any suggestions you can give me on how I can do that would be so appreciated! I like the laundry basket idea, in fact, one of the pics above has her in a laundry basket. I need to keep her in a very small space so she doesn't tip over. She cannot be given too much room to move or she'll end up curled up in a corner! Thanks again!

 

[Debbie292d]

Thank you so much! I will pick up some of that feed and will watch a few youtube videos before attempting to clip her beak and claws! I continue to crunch ideas on how to create a more comfortable and entertaining environment for her. Any suggestions you can give me on how I can do that would be so appreciated! I like the laundry basket idea, in fact, one of the pics above has her in a laundry basket. I need to keep her in a very small space so she doesn't tip over. She cannot be given too much room to move or she'll end up curled up in a corner! Thanks again!

I made balls out of mash put in a coffee grinder, some of that Kaytee feed, a raw egg, and a tiny bit of melted coconut oil to hand feed her as she wasn't getting enough. I don't think yours needs to be hand fed, but the principle is the same, just make her some mash with that in it, and you probably don't need to grind the feed like I did.

So to simplify, just mix some of that powder in her crumbles, add a raw egg, stir it up and add water to make it the right consistency for her to eat it, not too mushy I wouldn't think.

 

[ChicNmom]

I wonder if you could make a mini version of a toddler walker. The kind with wheels so she could scoot along and strengthen her legs?

She's a cutie!

 

[grimresa]

Yes, I have tried that, but it seems no matter what I do she is able to somehow climb her way out of it. It's amazing how a chicken who can't walk can actually climb! This picture here looks like a perfect fit right? But I can't keep her in it. I need more stuff to secure it. I'm wondering if I use springs instead of those dowels maybe that will prevent her from being able to propel herself out. The chair will move with her. I'm gonna try that! Thanks!

 

[grimresa]

I made balls out of mash put in a coffee grinder, some of that Kaytee feed, a raw egg, and a tiny bit of melted coconut oil to hand feed her as she wasn't getting enough. I don't think yours needs to be hand fed, but the principle is the same, just make her some mash with that in it, and you probably don't need to grind the feed like I did.

So to simplify, just mix some of that powder in her crumbles, add a raw egg, stir it up and add water to make it the right consistency for her to eat it, not too mushy I wouldn't think.

Ok I'll try that, thanks!

 

[Debbie292d]

I just saw this review of a sling. If you like it, she's got a link to Amazon for it. It's too big for the little one month old invalid I have but it's giving me ideas!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/re...-chicken-sling-holder.12109/#sc-comment-20671