Official BYC Poll: Special Needs Poultry

[mrskenmore]

Penny Marshall came into my life with five other sisters in the Spring of 2022. She was about 1 year old when I came home and found her in the nesting box. I put her on the perch and quickly realized something was off she had no balance and couldn't hold her head up. I quickly took her in and isolated and fed her. The appetite was there so I let her rest crated inside to see what the morning would bring. The next morning she was still with us so I started to feed her vitamins for wry neck and continued to monitor her making sure she was eating and drinking. She made a decent recovery but would then relapse over and over. I took her to the vet and put her on antibiotics incase it was an ear infection. She would walk in circles and had balance issues. We finally got her well enough to rejoin the flock two months later living her best chicken life. Three months later she was attacked by her sisters while I was at work and I brought her in again to help her through her relapse again. She needed to be fed and had mobility issues again. A year later we have made her a Penthouse in the coop to be separated permanently. I think now she probably had a stroke or perhaps several strokes along the way. She sometimes forgets to eat- but if you put the food in front of her she is ravenous lol. I thought several times how much easier my life would be without her, but since she didn't give up I couldn't give up on her either. She now has the best little life I can give her. She does everything a normal chicken does except walk. She is not paralyzed- but just can't go long distances successfully. I make sure she gets to sunbathe on the grass several times a week. I even have my alpha hen Olivia Jade visit with her- who ironically does not attack Miss Penny! She free ranges with the flock (well she sits and pecks at the grass with her beak) and I protect her by sitting by her side. I have kept chickens for ten years now and I struggle with letting nature take its course vs. Human intervention. My husband and I, along with our vet agree that although different, Penny Marshall is not suffering and even though her life is different than a regular hen, she is living her best life. I think she will let us know when it's time. Until that day I just enjoy her immensely!


She also is a great model for photos lolol

 

[Azhtann]

I have a Indio gigante rooster with deformed feet. He is unable to perch on the roosting bar, and is unwilling to use the stairs I built for him or his ramp. I bought him a toddler swing and attached that to the roosting bar next to his ladies. Every night I pick him up and put him in his swing for bed. He manages to jump down quite fine, though. The roost for them is quite low to the ground to help accommodate his needs.

 

[triciayoung]

Penny Marshall came into my life with five other sisters in the Spring of 2022. She was about 1 year old when I came home and found her in the nesting box. I put her on the perch and quickly realized something was off she had no balance and couldn't hold her head up. I quickly took her in and isolated and fed her. The appetite was there so I let her rest crated inside to see what the morning would bring. The next morning she was still with us so I started to feed her vitamins for wry neck and continued to monitor her making sure she was eating and drinking. She made a decent recovery but would then relapse over and over. I took her to the vet and put her on antibiotics incase it was an ear infection. She would walk in circles and had balance issues. We finally got her well enough to rejoin the flock two months later living her best chicken life. Three months later she was attacked by her sisters while I was at work and I brought her in again to help her through her relapse again. She needed to be fed and had mobility issues again. A year later we have made her a Penthouse in the coop to be separated permanently. I think now she probably had a stroke or perhaps several strokes along the way. She sometimes forgets to eat- but if you put the food in front of her she is ravenous lol. I thought several times how much easier my life would be without her, but since she didn't give up I couldn't give up on her either. She now has the best little life I can give her. She does everything a normal chicken does except walk. She is not paralyzed- but just can't go long distances successfully. I make sure she gets to sunbathe on the grass several times a week. I even have my alpha hen Olivia Jade visit with her- who ironically does not attack Miss Penny! She free ranges with the flock (well she sits and pecks at the grass with her beak) and I protect her by sitting by her side. I have kept chickens for ten years now and I struggle with letting nature take its course vs. Human intervention. My husband and I, along with our vet agree that although different, Penny Marshall is not suffering and even though her life is different than a regular hen, she is living her best life. I think she will let us know when it's time. Until that day I just enjoy her immensely!


She also is a great model for photos lolol
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You are awesome and made my day in so many ways. I understand how your life could be easier (I think these things as well), but the quality and purpose of your life is better with her in it. Here is my Penny. She is one of three handicap chickens in my family, Her splay legs and curly toe paralysis was not corrected when she was young, and by the time I rescued her it was too late. She cannot walk, even though she has the will to live and get around like nothing I have ever seen. I am holding her as I type this message to you. I have to feed her and give her water, and have learned to do many things with one arm/hand.

 

[triciayoung]

I have a Indio gigante rooster with deformed feet. He is unable to perch on the roosting bar, and is unwilling to use the stairs I built for him or his ramp. I bought him a toddler swing and attached that to the roosting bar next to his ladies. Every night I pick him up and put him in his swing for bed. He manages to jump down quite fine, though. The roost for them is quite low to the ground to help accommodate his needs.

Can I see a picture of what you designed. I need something like that. Thank you for helping him.

 

[Azhtann]

Can I see a picture of what you designed. I need something like that. Thank you for helping him.

It's pitch black and raining out there right now, but I will try to get pictures of the perch tomorrow.

 

[triciayoung]

It's pitch black and raining out there right now, but I will try to get pictures of the perch tomorrow.

No hurry at all. I just appreciate it whenever possible.

 

[Bawkbok]

Miss Molly before she went blind, unfortunately I don't have any photos of her eyes at the blindness stage. Her eyes started going cloudy one day. The vet gave me antibiotic eye drops thinking it could have been an infection, but the eyes continued to go white.
View attachment 3610106

I don't think she was totally blind as I believe could see shadows somewhat, but both her eyes were pretty white. She continuously stayed in this corner next to this mirror just like this old bird here (This is Hilda, not Miss Molly)...
View attachment 3610096
I watered Miss Molly with a large bowl (chicken waterers were too narrow for her to find) I had an old fish tank aerator and stuck the plastic tube inside the water bowl so the bubbles made noise. She could then locate the water. I spread chicken feed at her feet on a similar towel in this photo, so she could always find food. The others were always eating her food so I had to be vigilant and keep spreading more food for Miss Molly.

Miss Molly was the first bird to have a stroke, which I think the blindness was related. Her right wing started drooping, then she started limping on her right foot, eventually her toes curled under and she struggled to walk, she had tremors as well. All this stroke talk...FYI to all reading, it turns out the well water I was watering my entire flock was too high in sodium and it gave them all heart disease. Some died young from heart disease, others went on to over come it once I got them on RO water, living long lives.

As for heat and old birds, all birds in my flock over 10 seem to need heat in the winter. Like old people, all of them lost muscle mass, had arthritis, could hardly stand in the morning, and they get extremely scary thin. Old birds do not have a hardy appetite. If the temps were going to get below 20F at night, I used an infra red heat lamp on them, a white infra red during the day. Old birds will freeze to death if they can not generate heat.

That's an incredible story of how you cared for her. What a creative idea using the aerator to create bubbles in the water. You could write a book on how to care for special needs poultry.

 

[GuineaMania]

I had an Austra White chick with wry neck and I currently have a guinea hen with an overbite beak that I have to trim from time to time.

 

[triciayoung]

I had an Austra White chick with wry neck and I currently have a guinea hen with an overbite beak that I have to trim from time to time.

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Thank you for the extra care you give them.

 

[triciayoung]

Miss Molly before she went blind, unfortunately I don't have any photos of her eyes at the blindness stage. Her eyes started going cloudy one day. The vet gave me antibiotic eye drops thinking it could have been an infection, but the eyes continued to go white.
View attachment 3610106

I don't think she was totally blind as I believe could see shadows somewhat, but both her eyes were pretty white. She continuously stayed in this corner next to this mirror just like this old bird here (This is Hilda, not Miss Molly)...
View attachment 3610096
I watered Miss Molly with a large bowl (chicken waterers were too narrow for her to find) I had an old fish tank aerator and stuck the plastic tube inside the water bowl so the bubbles made noise. She could then locate the water. I spread chicken feed at her feet on a similar towel in this photo, so she could always find food. The others were always eating her food so I had to be vigilant and keep spreading more food for Miss Molly.

Miss Molly was the first bird to have a stroke, which I think the blindness was related. Her right wing started drooping, then she started limping on her right foot, eventually her toes curled under and she struggled to walk, she had tremors as well. All this stroke talk...FYI to all reading, it turns out the well water I was watering my entire flock was too high in sodium and it gave them all heart disease. Some died young from heart disease, others went on to over come it once I got them on RO water, living long lives.

As for heat and old birds, all birds in my flock over 10 seem to need heat in the winter. Like old people, all of them lost muscle mass, had arthritis, could hardly stand in the morning, and they get extremely scary thin. Old birds do not have a hardy appetite. If the temps were going to get below 20F at night, I used an infra red heat lamp on them, a white infra red during the day. Old birds will freeze to death if they can not generate heat.

You did an awesome job caring for her.