Questions for those of you with "special needs" chickens

[Bookspryte]

I'm glad that Mr. Snuggles is still alive and kicking.

I thought I was the only one running a home for handicapped poultry. It started with a turkey poult with eye problems (since resolved), then my baby whose a few days younger than Mr. Snuggles. Now I have a bantam pullet in solitary confinement to heal from being attacked by one of her hatch mates.

My Peanut has two deformed toes on her right foot. Unlike Mr. Snuggles, she's adapted well, perches fine and is the first one to check things out. I had another special needs chick that hatched at the same time. I had to peel her out of her shell. I ended up keeping the two of them together for a couple of weeks and then introduced them together to the other four. So far, all six are getting along fine.

My beat up bantam will probably be ultimately go into a coop with these six because she shows interest in being with them.

Like Mr. Snuggles, Peanut had difficulties with her hatch and I didn't think she'd make it. Whatever it takes, she (and my other two handicapped poultry) have earned a home for life. I figure that is the responsibility I took on when I brought them into my home to care for them.

I suppose when it comes down to it, everyone has to decide what's best for them and their own animals. The fact that I prefer animals to people makes the decision easy for me.

Denise

 

[bibliophile birds]

since it wasn't raining today, i decided to spend an hour or so taking my gimpy little pullet, Madeline, out into the run to see how things might fair. she's been in the sectioned off part of the coop for 2 weeks so i hoped they would have gotten accustomed to her by now. not so.

my head "problem" cockerel went in instantly for the kill. to Madeline's credit, she can move pretty fast even on that bum leg, but he was much much faster. and he's twice her size. i had to physically remove him from her back and he had a very big beak-full of the back of her neck. she made a run for it as soon as i got him off, only to get cornered by some of the other pullets... i'm not sure who was more upset, me or Madeline. i just had to put her back in the coop because i couldn't stand to watch her get harassed. she doesn't seem scared of the rest of the flock, she "talks" to them constantly in the coop, but she just can't get out of their way once they decide to beat her up.

when i closed them up for the night, i put the Silkies in with her. they didn't bother her at all but they totally freaked out at not being able to get into the main part of the coop. they were running back and forth along the divider screaming at me. i felt bad (and worried about them) so i let them back in with the others and they settled down right away.

i could section off a little part of the yard for her, but i don't think it would help get her integrated. they pay her no mind in the coop, so i assume it would be the same if she was in her own little run. i want her to be a part of the flock but i don't know how to make it happen.

i got chickens with the clear knowledge that some of them would end up in the freezer. i bought straight runs with the intent to process any extra cockerels, which i will be doing in the next few weeks. the rest, however, are basically pets that lay eggs (or breed future egg layers in the case of the roos) and i couldn't see myself processing those to eat. once they cross into pet territory they stay there- productive or not. believe me, i wouldn't take culling Madeline lightly at all (how could i when i've nursed her back to health in my house) but i've got to find a way to get her back into the flock for her to have a good quality of life. chickens are not solitary beings, they need other chickens. she seems so sad as it is just being separated from them by a wall of chicken wire. it's a dilemma i'm not happy about and a decision that will take lots of thought.

 

[dianer29]

bookspryte: I prefer animals as well, truth be told!We are all here on earth for a reason, mine may just be to watch out for all predators,care for the animals and speak for the weak, be it man or "beast".

 

[Happy Chooks]

bibliophile birds...........I'm so sorry you are having the same issues I am. It's so difficult to see the weak get picked on. I know it's "nature" and all that, but it's not pretty. It's been a week since I integrated and the babies are still not allowed out into the run. I don't know how long it's going to take for things to settle down with the rest of them.

Bookspryte.......I know what you mean about preferring animals over people. People can be really mean sometimes, but animals are not.

I really appreciate you all sharing your stories about your chickens. It helps to know how you have handled these tough situations. (and that I'm not alone)

I checked on Mr. Snuggles last night in the little coop (by himself, but visible to the others), and he was roosting on the lip of the nesting box. The nesting boxes are about 12 inches off the floor level, so he was able to get up 12 inches.

He was content, and not scared to death, like he was in the main coop. So that eases my heart some. If he's good with the new babies I'm getting, then I have no problem with him staying in the little coop with them. He can be the chick warmer. I won't be putting them in for a few more weeks, so that gives him time to heal.

 

[calicokat]

Thank you for this thread!

I bought a year old hen and she was just "odd" - I tolk folks I thought she was abused as a kid or something. When you touch her she just YELLS, and skittish was too mild a word for her behavior when I approached. At night she'd bed down somewhere in the coop, usually on the floor under the nest boxes, way back in a corner and hide her head. After a few months she moved up to the nest boxes at night and once in a while I'd be able to pick her up from there and place her on the roost where she'd stay, but in a bent over, kinda "hiding from the world" sort of pose. After several months I can now get her on the roost about 5 out of 7 nights and on the five nights I pick her up before she panics and takes off at my touch, I can even hold her and stroke her back. I walked her into the house like that the other night so DS could cut the leg band off her leg - we've been wanting to get this done, but couldn't catch her. She just sat quietly in my arms and sometimes burrowed her head in the crook of my arm. It was really sweet.

I'll never know what actually caused her to behave this way, but now that I know there could have been physical problems when she was born or little, I'm even more determined to give her a happy home. I'm sure she'll always be at the bottom of the pecking order because her behavior just screams "pick on me, I deserve it" - but she's going to be momma's favorite!

 

[janjan1]

I have a "special needs? rooster. He is the old man of my crew. His boys are beating him up badly. So I have sperated him from all the rest until he heals. All my chickens are free range and they roost in my barn with the horses at night. Junior is my original rooster, and I have kept two of his sons. They were getting along fine until about a month ago when harmons started up in the two younger roos. After they beat the old man down so badly I thought he would die, I've kept him in his own cage in the house until about two weeks ago. He is better, but after a trial run of letting him out, the boys beat him down again & again. So looks like after he heals up this time, he will be rehomed hopefully to my sisters place. I will naturally let a few hens go with him so it will make the move even better. He is a good roo, caring to the girls, always watching over them and leading them to good bugs etc in the woods & yard.
As far as culling, or putting down, YES I would to keep that animal from having pain. I just recently put down a three year old gelding that I raised from birth. I had to pull him from his mother when he born. He was a big boy, got stuck and his dam needed some assistance to get him into this world. After that she proceeded to reject him, so I raised him on a bucket & milk formulia. He was beautiful and my baby. The last couple months I noticed he was losing weight, not eating like he normally did. Two vet visits, teeth floating, bloodwork etc. He was in severe renal failure. We attempted to keep him going, but after losing about 400-500 pounds he just wasnt able to continue on. Not even to eat an apple or peppermint. When that time came, I called the vet to put him down. It about killed me, but he was ready to go. He looked at me and told me. So after a single peppermint, a brisk cold morning, I was the final thing he saw before he crossed over the rainbow bridge. So I was the first and the last thing he saw on this earth. But I know now that he is awaiting me when my turn comes. He is free of pain and eating to his hearts content. So you see, you do the responsible thing when you own animals wheather it be chickens, or large horses. Do the right thing for you and them.
IMHO
Jan

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
I have read here that when a younger roo challenges an older roo, everyone will take a swipe at him, (even the hens) and he will be at the bottom of the pecking order. So sad. I hope your sister can take him.

 

[CARS]

I have a special needs roo too. He lost a wing when he was a few months old. The rest of the flock picked on him, so I had to put him in the brooder room. He recovered from his injury (well, he lived through it. He is missing a limb after all

) and is very active (other than he can't fly

).

On a whim, I bought 4 silkies. Uno, the one wing roo, looks after them and the 5 of them share my brooder room.

I hated making the decision to keep or cull. I'm glad I took a chance on him even though it is extra work and equipment every time you have to separate anyone.

 

[NellaBean]

I had a young salmon faverolle pullet who escaped the yard and was attacked by the neighbor's dogs.

She had punctures and some sort of leg injury. After a few weeks inside, she was able to hobble around a bit, so spent a couple weeks in a small tractor with her sister.....once she was able to hobble a bit better, I let them back out with the "flock". I have a half acre fenced, but it is hilly and butts up against my house and a deck, has my garage and the coop/pens in the middle. She got picked on a lot as she wasn't quick enough to get away from the others. She got super friendly towards us as I would protect her from the others while I was outside. She got to where she would just follow me around when I was out there and come running when she saw me. Because of her "broken leg" she had trouble getting in and out of the coop, so we would lift her in and out of the coop. We called her the "broken legged chicken" and she was hilarious. She still ran all over but just had a "hitch in her giddyup". Every day I would bring food out and let her have a special meal with me standing guard.

One day it was super stormy and got dark early....by the time i got home she was hiding under the coop in the back corner where I couldn't reach her. I tried to call her out but she wouldn't come

I left and went out a few hours later and there were just feathers

 

[Happy Chooks]

Nella........I'm so sorry.