Need advice on a rooster with no legs

[Eggcessive]

Threads about frostbite can be educational to see the danger of what may happen to combs, wattles, and feet, when exposed to freezing temperatures. Every Jan/Feb we read about severe cases. The OP’s rooster was accidentally locked out of his coop in freezing weather. Sometimes a chicken gets locked out, and a predator kills the bird. We all learn from a mistake or an accident like this, and I have learned early on to do a head count when mine go to roost. That is why I have never wanted an automatic pop door.

When coop humidity is high from a lot of birds breathing, and not enough overhead ventilation, we see frostbitten combs. I keep metal garbage cans for feed, and those can be a danger to feet if a bird decides to roost there. Water spills or open bowls that are stepped in are a risk to feet and wattles. Highly soiled bedding is another good way to get frozen feet.

Hopefully, this thread can be helpful to others.

 

[roosterhavoc]

Threads about frostbite can be educational to see the danger of what may happen to combs, wattles, and feet, when exposed to freezing temperatures. Every Jan/Feb we read about severe cases. The OP’s rooster was accidentally locked out of his coop in freezing weather. Sometimes a chicken gets locked out, and a predator kills the bird. We all learn from a mistake or an accident like this, and I have learned early on to do a head count when mine go to roost. That is why I have never wanted an automatic pop door.

When coop humidity is high from a lot of birds breathing, and not enough overhead ventilation, we see frostbitten combs. I keep metal garbage cans for feed, and those can be a danger to feet if a bird decides to roost there. Water spills or open bowls that are stepped in are a risk to feet and wattles. Highly soiled bedding is another good way to get frozen feet.

Hopefully, this thread can be helpful to others.

I agree with no auto pop door. People rely on them instead of actually walking outside in the cold to physically check and do a head count.

 

[Ms Clucky]

Carve him some out of wood or 3d image him some. I just googled it. CBS had it on their site. I wouldn't cull him. I love Mille Fleur. I got a Old English hen. Her name is Millie.

 

[BY Bob]

Munchkin cats are highly prone to serious issues with their spines and internal organs, and kittens with 2 copies of the gene that causes short legs die in the womb. Not to mention that they can't run around and jump nearly as well as a cat ought to be able to. They're not healthy animals, and as such really shouldn't be bred.

This rooster is going to need a lot of care to live anything like a good life. He needs to go in a sling so he's not just lying down all the time, and his diet needs to be watched carefully so he doesn't get fat from not being able to move. He should probably be put somewhere he can interact with other chickens- maybe a couple of others should be brought inside with him? Chickens are too social to be kept alone. Once he's healed up enough, some sort of short prosthetic could be used in conjunction with a wheelchair to let him push himself around. He should NOT be made to push himself around on the stumps of his legs, nor left to sit on them and try to stand. It's very likely painful, and will be too hard on the ends of the bones long-term, causing more issues. You don't need anything too fancy- I've added an attachment of what I think would work.
While he can't move around on his own, he should be moved frequently, several times a day if possible, to give him changes of scenery. Since he can't get enrichment from jumping onto things, he'll need additional enrichment in other ways, like juicy weeds to peck at.

View attachment 1721561
I think this might work. A layer of elastic bandage around his leg as padding, then a prosthetic made of several popsicle sticks with something solid at the end. Wrap the end in rubber padding for gripping, and use bandages over the top to secure it. You'd want to check every day that there was no irritation underneath. The feathered legs will make it harder, I'd be a bit worried about ingrown feathers, so you'd probably want to take these off him at night. The idea is to let him put pressure on the ends of the prosthetics, which transmits the pressure up to his leg without putting any pressure on the stump. Making him walk on the stumps would be painful, this would be, at least, less so. Combine this with a sling wheelchair, and he ought to be able to get around some.

I should have known better. @LynMcLean, I apologize. I'm not going to hijack this thread but I have to respond. This is the last I will post on the munchkin. My daughter's munchkin cat has none of those problems or limitations. I'm not sure where you are getting your information and I dont care, I just will disagree. To say that much daughter's loving fully functional cat should not exist is a nonstarter for me. Her cat leaps as high as my 18 lb Norwegian Forrest cat. In fact they wrestle every time they get together and the munchkin frequently defeats his much larger friend. He is 9 years old, has no back problems, no internal issues, and is a loving companion. I submit that consistent rebreeding without the insertion of long legged DNA is causing the issues you are stating. But that would be true of rebreeding any genetic line, chicken or cat. I submit that irresponsible breeders are the problem, not the breed itself. How should this cat not exist?

Here he is flipping my Norwegian Forrest cat into the bottom of my bar.

 

[bobbi-j]

If a person has the time, money and talent to keep a special needs animal and give it a good quality of life, more power to them. I know that with my lifestyle and budget, it would not be an option. I work full time so I wouldn't have time to move it and turn it frequently since it can't do it for itself, and wouldn't have the means to have prosthetics built for one. I also feel bad for a chicken that can't get out in the fresh air and sunshine, be with the rest of its flock and scratch and peck like mine love to do. Not judging the OP, just sharing my opinion.

 

[Nature_al]

Poor roo. Hopefully he will be able to have a high quality of life despite his disability. I am sure there is a way to allow him mobility, mental stimulation, and socialization. Best of luck with whatever you decide. I’ll be following this thread to see how things develop for him.

Random aside: We have an automatic coop door that we love! But we also have two cameras stationed inside that are connected to our phones so we can monitor everyone in real time.

 

[BY Bob]

Poor roo. Hopefully he will be able to have a high quality of life despite his disability. I am sure there is a way to allow him mobility, mental stimulation, and socialization. Best of luck with whatever you decide. I’ll be following this thread to see how things develop for him.

Random aside: We have an automatic coop door that we love! But we also have two cameras stationed inside that are connected to our phones so we can monitor everyone in real time.

We too have an automated door and coop camera. I have called my wife from the road a couple of times to say so and so is not in the coop. She has gone out wrangled them up and put them on the roost. There are many ways to get the job done.

 

[Eggcessive]

I agree that if I still worked full time 12 hour shifts, that I probably would not have time to even have chickens, muchless a handicapped one. Many of us get chickens when we have more time to be with them. I don’t need an auto door since I am home. Several people here or in other threads posted, have stated that their disabled chickens were outside near the other chickens in their own pens or wire crates. Some walk around. Just taking care of a sick chicken is taxing for me. Everyone’s situation and opinions are different.

 

[cottagecheese]

Scanning the thread, there seemed to be a little confusion, especially in the beginning, about the script handed to us by the OP. No, we're not in Gladiator, where we get to vote thumbs up or down if this chicken should live or die, we're in something warm and fuzzy, like Babe.

Chickens are very clean animals and, let's face it, rather dumb. I've seen one trying to go through a wall, a wall not a fence, so it's likely Baelfire is not very aware right now of how serious his problem is. And, taking care of a disabled pet can be very rewarding and good for the soul. (Of course, if the disability is easily manageable.)

I also looked at the article linked above, to me the person who wrote that is the very definition of a concern troll. (Although I think the practice of shipping chicks by mail is terrible and I wouldn't do it.)

Editing to say I thought my computer for some reason doesn't tag , but look it can actually tag @roosterhavoc . The person who wrote that article you linked engages in some quite disturbing concern trolling.

 

[LynMcLean]

Thank you all for the helpful advice. I made a sling for him, which he used for about 20 minutes before he decided that it was enough and let out a grumpy bawk and somersaulted out of it. I caught him before he could hurt himself and set him down on the floor. He took off running and flapping to a towel I had on the floor. I'll try to redesign it so he can't do that again and slowly try to get him used to it.

He gets daily visits from the two chicks that in the house brooder. During today's visit he decided that the towel they were on wasn't good enough and tried to fly to the couch. I helped him up and he preened and took a nap.

Everyday he seems stronger and harder to keep immobilized.