Rooster to lose both legs: Quality of Life?

[Isadora]

That's how I get with Sia and my current ones I'm still working through cullwise. I've done everything I can and it hasn't helped them. Which makes me feel like I failed even though I was pushing a Boulder uphill from the first sign.

I'm sorry.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I'm sorry.

Thanks.

That's why I originally mentioned culling. It seems like at this point, you know what he's already lost, and it's time to ponder, is this going to work, or will I only be setting myself up for worse feelings if it fails?

 

[azygous]

When making a decision to cull, it's definitely important to consider your own limitations. Having a desire to try to make a life for a disabled chicken is not enough. It requires the honesty and self awareness to know if you have the physical and emotional strength and time and abilities to take this on. If the answer, after careful introspection is "no", that is nothing to be ashamed of. It's merely making a decision that you believe is best for you and your flock.

 

[BrahmaMama9]

UPDATE:

Chip is gone and I'm heartbroken. I had to be out of town these last few days and had his owner watch him. I pulled in when I got back to town and she came running out of the house screaming for me that he was dying.

Chip had his head curled over, eyes shut, mouth gapping open. Once in a while he would flop his head back and open his eyes but he wasn't really there anymore. He was in so much pain. I carefully scooped him up and ran outside to my husband and asked him to please put Chip out of his misery.

I gently stroked his head and gave him a kiss and I said my last I love you. My husband informed me he had a broken neck before he was put down, which was the source for all his pain and suffering. He had a quick and merciful ending.

We don't know what happened and I'm so sad for him. I'm just thankful I got to meet his sweet soul and give him a better life in the end. I still have a piece of him in his brother.

Rest in peace my little Chip ❤

 

[BigBlueHen53]

 

[Sally PB]

I still have a piece of him in his brother.

And a lot of him in your heart.

Fly high and free, Chip!

 

[MaritimeFlock]

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

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.

I would see how it goes. If he still enjoying life then let him be. It is so upsetting to hear what he is going through. But that doesn’t mean he won’t be okay afterwards.

 

[CloneFly]

UPDATE:

Chip is gone and I'm heartbroken. I had to be out of town these last few days and had his owner watch him. I pulled in when I got back to town and she came running out of the house screaming for me that he was dying.

Chip had his head curled over, eyes shut, mouth gapping open. Once in a while he would flop his head back and open his eyes but he wasn't really there anymore. He was in so much pain. I carefully scooped him up and ran outside to my husband and asked him to please put Chip out of his misery.

I gently stroked his head and gave him a kiss and I said my last I love you. My husband informed me he had a broken neck before he was put down, which was the source for all his pain and suffering. He had a quick and merciful ending.

We don't know what happened and I'm so sad for him. I'm just thankful I got to meet his sweet soul and give him a better life in the end. I still have a piece of him in his brother.

Rest in peace my little Chip ❤

I'm so sorry... he was loved, and that's what matters. You did what you could

 

[countrybumpkin5]

This thread follows a chicken who has also recovered to live a quality chicken life.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/help-i-don’t-want-her-to-lose-her-leg.1513145/#post-25456540

As does this thread.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/frostbite-lost-both-feet-my-hens-story.1343701/

Here are some videos off the internet. I'm sending you rooster videos since I think you may appreciate them the most.

First off, Bart the rooster.
http://www.poultrydvm.com/cases/barth

Foghorn the rooster

There are also ducks, peacocks and wild birds of various species on the internet that lost their feet, but who's lives were spared.

Again, this is a personal choice that not everyone will make. Know that if you choose to save your rooster, it's not about keeping a helpless, depressed, invalid bird alive for selfish reasons. It's about helping him continue to live a quality life despite his misfortune.

I reacted Very sadly and strongly to those who advised you to euthanize him for the following reason. My very first chickens came carrying the respiratory disease MG. I didn't know what I was dealing with at the time, but everything I read said that birds with respiratory diseases should be culled, since they cant be cured. So I began to "cull" my sweet hens, even though it tore off pieces of my heart to do so. Finally I sent a "culled" carcass to my state lab for necropsy. After learning the results, I found a medication that keeps MG symptoms at bay. Eight years later, I'm still sad to remember the sweet, friendly hens I needlessly euthanized. It did no harm to keep the remaining hens symptom-free and healthy while they lived out their happy chicken lives. If you decide to keep your rooster, though his life has changed, you can still ensure that it is Good.

I agree with your hindsight conclusions 100 percent. People need to remember that our version of "quality of life" may not be the version of the animal, or person, that is involved. Also, something that many will argue with I'm sure, but which I am very familiar with, is the very real situation that when a living being, of any species, really and truly wants "out" of it's existence, it will find a way to exit. Does that mean we should artificially try to keep them here with us, going to great lengths? No, and many will continue to hang on just because they can feel our need for them to do so. It's a bit of a catch 22, but only the caregiver can really tune in and decide what is best for the animal, and take your time doing so.

 

[countrybumpkin5]

I just saw the updated post about Chip's death. I am very truly sorry. While the sadness can't be relieved by knowing you did what you could, the truth is that you did just that, and more than many, as you can see by the opinions posted here, would or could do. I would've done what you did, as I don't give up as long as the animal, whatever species, wild or domestic, shows the life in their eyes, even if it is temporarily weakened a bit. Should we do that? I can't say, but I do know that I still see many wild animals that I helped running out and about months and years later, so there's that. Others, no matter what you do simply do not make it. I believe that if I were not meant to try these situations wouldn't come to me. That might seem silly or naive to many, but after many decades on earth dealing with all types of living things I've learned a lot. And I'm still learning. Chip knew he was loved and there's no greater gift than that.