Rooster to lose both legs: Quality of Life?

[BrahmaMama9]

I've been helping a friend with her large flock this winter in the northern Midwest. We had a nasty week long storm and 2 dozen chickens died. Many have frostbite and are losing toes, feet and legs. Mind you, they do not have a proper coop or quality care, unfortunately.

I took in and bonded to a little brahma rooster whose legs had already frozen solid twice before receiving him. Despite daily Epsom salt soaks, bag balm on his legs and keeping him in deep clean shavings, both legs turned jet black. One leg has entirely fallen off, not even a stumb left. If you have ever butchered chickens, the leg fell off right where you cut the legs off (hock joint).

Despite the entire leg coming off, he is getting around better on his belly, eating and drinking and in better spirits now than prior to the days leading up to it falling off. The other leg has begun the same process and I believe it too will also fall off at the hock joint. He cannot be fitted with prosthetics due to there being no stump to attach anything to.

He is such a sweet, loving and cuddly little rooster. But I am concerned about his quality of life. Due to the extent and location of his frostbite injuries, I don't know if it is in his best interest to live his life out with no legs. I'd love to keep him and care for a special needs boy like him, but I question if that's truly the right thing to do.

Any advice?
Anyone been through something similar? Or have had a chicken to have lost both legs entirely? I want to do right by him.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Following cause this is about the saddest thing I've ever read on BYC. I don't see how a chicken could possibly have any quality of life without legs.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

When mine loose legs to frostbite, we cull. They aren't solely pets though

 

[Tonyroo]

There is no quality of life for a chicken without legs. It's there essential being for survival.

 

[nuthatched]

I'd put him down, I'm sorry.
For future note, don't touch frostbite areas, no rubbing, no salves, no baths, it makes things worse.
I don't think it was made worse by treatment considering the circumstances.

 

[LhickenChicken]

 

[BrahmaMama9]

I'd put him down, I'm sorry.
For future note, don't touch frostbite areas, no rubbing, no salves, no baths, it makes things worse.
I don't think it was made worse by treatment considering the circumstances.

Thank you for the advice. I'll double check with my vet who recommended the treatment. Perhaps she didn't understand the extent of his frostbite.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Thank you for the advice. I'll double check with my vet who recommended the treatment. Perhaps she didn't understand the extend of his frostbite.

Honestly, for a good few of my birds (the culls, go figure), I've noticed this year the ones that I didn't try to help were almost always the ones that did make it through with enough foot to be left alone for now.

One way to look at it that I've started doing is: "Is it fair to make him live this life?" When it comes to quality. Yes, the bird is awake and breathing and moving, but if you were that bird and trapped to what he has avaliable, would you be happy and excited to wake up each morning?

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

One thing to consider with a blob chicken would be infection caused by sitting in his own waste. So even if you can keep him alive through a double amputation, a subsequent skin infection might bring him to a painful end anyway. I don't think you could possibly move him enough to avoid it.

 

[BrahmaMama9]

Honestly, for a good few of my birds (the culls, go figure), I've noticed this year the ones that I didn't try to help were almost always the ones that did make it through with enough foot to be left alone for now.

One way to look at it that I've started doing is: "Is it fair to make him live this life?" When it comes to quality. Yes, the bird is awake and breathing and moving, but if you were that bird and trapped to what he has avaliable, would you be happy and excited to wake up each morning?

I think I already knew what I need to do, I just needed to hear it from other people... I had to cull one hen already due to health issues and a skin infection. This one is a bit harder because this injured roo is the brother of my big, beautiful brahma rooster who is so healthy and full of life. It's so sad to see what improper care caused when I know he could of ended up like his brother in better conditions and care. And he is so sweet, it just makes it so much harder