Ok, about a month ago I thought a chicken got hurt and was limping...

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seminolewind said:
I agree, it does sound like injury. And I went thru the "limps" several years ago, till my roosts are thigh high. I have alot of big birds, and I had lower rungs for them, but they always ended up at the top!
Click to expand...

Seems a common desire, to reach the highest possible point. Maybe shorter coops?

When my lil' brother was barely able to walk, he made his way all the way to the thinnest upright branches of our first Christmas tree, before lookin' down. I climbed as far as I could w/o breakin' the tree, 'n carefully coaxed him into climbin' back down to me ... fearful the whole time that he'd fall.
 
A lot of times the smaller chickens use what I intended to be the roosts as a stepping stone to get to the rafters, but in the mornings some take the safe step down route, but a lot of them just fly straight to the ground...Our big rooster hits the ground and sounds like the hulk just landed....On one hand I can see that they would be safer using the roosts I made, but I do like that they are sleeping 6 ft off the ground so even if something manages to get into the second story coop they still have to get to the roof to eat the chickens. I think I'll put some flat panels across the rafters so they can't get up there, except maybe one spot that will have a ramp...that way they have to take it easy, but can still be safe sleeping up high. I thought that my roosts would be high enough, they are 4 ft off the floor, but apparently the rafters seem so much better. I do need to do something so this doesn't keep happening. The 2 chickens that have been affected in whatever way no longer roost at all...both bed down somewhere on the floor now.
 
missnu01 said:
A lot of times the smaller chickens use what I intended to be the roosts as a stepping stone to get to the rafters, but in the mornings some take the safe step down route, but a lot of them just fly straight to the ground...Our big rooster hits the ground and sounds like the hulk just landed....On one hand I can see that they would be safer using the roosts I made, but I do like that they are sleeping 6 ft off the ground so even if something manages to get into the second story coop they still have to get to the roof to eat the chickens. I think I'll put some flat panels across the rafters so they can't get up there, except maybe one spot that will have a ramp...that way they have to take it easy, but can still be safe sleeping up high. I thought that my roosts would be high enough, they are 4 ft off the floor, but apparently the rafters seem so much better. I do need to do something so this doesn't keep happening. The 2 chickens that have been affected in whatever way no longer roost at all...both bed down somewhere on the floor now.
Click to expand...

Removable panels could be hung under the rafters, with an area open for access that has a wider panel hung 18" or so below that, so they've got no choice but to come down in sequential steps ... would be much easier to keep 'em warm that way, too ~'-)
 
Well all signs are pointing to something worse than an injury, or deficiency...the chicken that stopped limping is back to limping...and the one that just started limping is limping worse...actually is barely moving now...I mean she tries, but she just can't get around...she sort of scoot flutters everywhere she needs to get to. Eyes and breathing and all that still looking good, but I really am thinking that we would be better off just killing these 2...
 
Sorry you're going through this... I still think it's Merek's. If I were you, I would have necropsies done on both if they don't improve.
 
So I call and send the bodies to those places? Neither is dead, or sickly seeming...they just can't move right...but they are breaking my heart...not so much the one that was doing better but the one that more recently started having issues...it really can't get around very well at all.
I am more worried about trying to get new chicks...if all new chicks are vaccinated then everything should be alright, right?

I'm not sure I have the heart to kill baby chickens...but I also don't have the heart to watch something suffer...
and can you get a necropsy on a chicken you killed, or do I have to wait for one of them to die...?
Is this something that chickens recover from? So perhaps I should just leave these 2 to either make it or not...or should I go ahead and cull them since they obviously are having some issues?
 
missnu01 said:
So I call and send the bodies to those places? Neither is dead, or sickly seeming...they just can't move right...but they are breaking my heart...not so much the one that was doing better but the one that more recently started having issues...it really can't get around very well at all.
I am more worried about trying to get new chicks...if all new chicks are vaccinated then everything should be alright, right?

I'm not sure I have the heart to kill baby chickens...but I also don't have the heart to watch something suffer...
and can you get a necropsy on a chicken you killed, or do I have to wait for one of them to die...?
Is this something that chickens recover from? So perhaps I should just leave these 2 to either make it or not...or should I go ahead and cull them since they obviously are having some issues?
Click to expand...

It's not easy, makin' these choices, but I agree w/ both casportpony's suggestion for necropy, and your initial conclusion that it's for the best. So much so, in fact, that I'd already tracked down your first post, and found the options she'd provided (woulda spared me some time, had I simply scrolled down the page first ~'-)

To make this decision easier? Try 'n set what your heart says aside, and think logically of the overall welfare of your entire flock first, and of their own chances to be productive members, as their own happiness truly depends upon that.

Rather than culling first, should you choose this route, they do accept live birds, and up to eight for the same minimal fee, but I think they will probably charge a disposal fee as well ... easily worth the price paid, both by you and these two chicks, as it serves best to protect the flock.

I hate seein' folks go through this sorta thing, and was hopin' they'd get better, but knowin' why this has happened may prove tremendously important, and you're in an exceptionally good state for gettin' the best answers.
 

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