re: Spraddled-legged bird - Question for Ruth

[ewesfullchicks]

I just read the post about Ruth amputating her bird's deformed leg, and had a question.

Like her, I had a chick that was born with a deformed leg, and like her, tried everything to try to correct it. She is now 12 weeks old, and the leg sticks out behind her. This I think is a better scenario that Ruth's, because my bird can still at least use it for balance when she has her head down to eat/drink.

I was going to cull her on many occasions, but she had such a survival instinct, I just couldn't do it.

Alas, she is about half the size of the other birds. I have her in a separate pen, with just two others for company, so that she doesn't have to compete for food. The others don't pick on her, and there's LOTS of space to eat. In fact, I always have to throw some feed away, before I refill. Therefore, lack of access to food is NOT the reason for her being stunted.

I'm assuming that there is something else wrong with her, and that she will never be productive, and will probably die young.

Anyone else have experience with a "special needs" chick?

 

[ruth]

Hi and welcome to BYC. I just saw this thread. If your bird has a working foot I would leave it even if it does stick out behind her because, like you said she could still use for balance. In my chicken's case, the leg stuck out straight beside her or sometimes over her head. The hip was out of joint or deformed and the foot was a mangled/curled claw that she could not open or close and it got caught in everything. As long as Sweetie was able to hop around on her good leg, I left well enough alone. But once the bad leg got worse and she couldn't get around without the claw getting tangled up in everything, I decided to try and amputate the foot and deformed "knee".

I think if you have a separate pen that she could stay in, possibly with a friend, she will be fine. Sweetie is also stunted and only half the size of the other Barred Rocks. Being smaller is an asset if they only have one good leg. If they were really large birds, it would be harder for them to get around.

Personally, if it were me, and she can get around and eat and drink and you have a place you can confine her, I wouldn't do anything but give her extra attention and make her a pet.