Sanctuary for a severely disabled chick?

[curiouschelsea]

I recently came home from college to visit my parents. They live in a semi-suburban/farmland neighborhood where chickens roam the block. Ever since they moved there a few years back they've been feeding the chickens and roosters and recently the chickens have even been using an old litter box (cleaned and filled with hay of course) to lay their eggs. However, around three weeks ago three different hens hatched eggs. Among the chicks were two very sick/disabled ones. The day before I came home my dad had to break one of the chick's neck because it had been pecked to near death. Two days after I came home the hen abandoned her other sick chick and the flock began to attack it too.

Naturally I couldn't allow that to happen and with some effort I caught her (or him) and made a makeshift brooder after looking at examples on this site. However the chick was in very bad shape, she won't use her left leg, her beak is completely crooked, and the chickens blinded her in her right eye. As a result I've been giving her water one drop at a time with a syringe and food one seed/crumble at a time. She seems to be getting a little better - she chirps more often and even stands on both feet and spins to get comfortable - but she isn't walking and she isn't even attempting to eat or drink by herself.

My parents told me that they couldn't care for her, which is understandable considering they're in their 60s and have no real experience with chickens. So, I took her home with me yesterday. This wouldn't be a problem if I lived in a house or near farmland, but I live in an apartment with a roommate and 3 cats. My roommate and I love this chick already and have named her (or him) Tuffy, but we have no experience raising chickens and we both believe keeping her in an apartment is not just illegal but cruel.

We want her to survive and we're hoping some of you might know of a few places in California who might take her in and give her the care she deserves. Anywhere in California is fine as we're willing to make the drive - any place in Nevada would be fine too. Please help us to help this chick to survive!

 

[Gallusfarm]

Cruel is keeping the thing alive any longer. Most likely the bird will not be able to walk, won't be able to feed itself and is partially blind. These are three things that all chickens need to survive. Even the hen knew this and didn't want to care for it.

Wherever else it goes, it will have to be confined to a cage, never be able to go outside, live in a flock with other birds, or live a normal chicken life.

 

[realsis]

My heart goes out to you and I hope you can find her a wonderful home. In the mean time is she able to eat and drink on her own or with your help? As long as she is eating and drinking hopefully she will have a good chance for survival. Bless your heart for trying to help this chick! I wish I could take her but sadly I can not.I have four in my flock and live in a area that's considered city so I can't have any more birds. I'm known to help disabled animals. I wish I had room.I have a one eyed cat and a completely blind dog with diabetes. so helping disabled animals I
think is wonderful! I really hope you find her a loving and carrying home! God bless

 

[curiouschelsea]

We have found a sanctuary in San Diego that specializes in disabled animals. We'll keep her until she's a bit older and is eating on her own but I hopeful for the future.

 

[curiouschelsea]

My heart goes out to you and I hope you can find her a wonderful home. In the mean time is she able to eat and drink on her own or with your help? As long as she is eating and drinking hopefully she will have a good chance for survival. Bless your heart for trying to help this chick! I wish I could take her but sadly I can not.I have four in my flock and live in a area that's considered city so I can't have any more birds. I'm known to help disabled animals. I wish I had room.I have a one eyed cat and a completely blind dog with diabetes. so helping disabled animals I
think is wonderful! I really hope you find her a loving and carrying home! God bless

I wanted to thank you so much for your kind words so I just thought I give you a little update on my disabled chick so far. We've found an animal sanctuary down in San Diego that specializes in disabled animals. However we're going to keep her until she's a bit stronger and is eating on her own because as nice as the sanctuary volunteers are I doubt they'd be able to giver her the 24 hour attention she needs at the moment. As I mentioned she's still not eating on her own yet but she is pecking around - she just can't seem to get the hang of her crooked beak but we're hoping it will resolve itself as she grows. She's begun gaining a lot more strength and energy, she's using both her legs and has opened her other eye - making me wonder if she had just been injured or malnourished. I've been feeding her a blend of starter food, water, and scrambled eggs through a syringe which she seems to enjoy. As a testament to her improved condition she comes running to my hand when she sees me and jump/flaps herself from my arm to my chest. It may not seem like much but when I first brought her in she wouldn't even open her eyes when I fed her. I can honestly say I'm cautiously hopeful and I no longer worry that she'll die in the night.

 

[realsis]

That's wonderful! I too have a crooked beak bird and here is what I do to feed her easier. I make a mash out of regular chicken food by adding water and mashing it with my hands maybe this will help your baby too? Its much easier for them to eat and they get more food at a time! I hope this helps give it a try they seem to love the mash! Thank you so much for updating on this thread I was thinking of your baby wondering if she found a home! I'm so happy she did! San Diego is lovely and I'm sure she will be very happy there! God bless you for saving her precious life! This is such wonderful news! I'm so happy things are working out and I'm very happy the baby is showing signs of improvements! What great news! Thank you so much for updating me on her situation! May God bless you and God bless the baby chick! I hope she leads a long and happy life! She is a very lucky baby that you found her and are willing to help her find a good home! I'm so happy things are working out so well! You are a wonderful person! Try out the mash food and update me on if she liked it and if it helped her eat a bit better! It works very well for my cross beak bird! It also helps therm gain a bit of weight because they are able to eat more of it! Take care and please let me know if this helped! Keep up the great care your giving! I'm so very very happy things are going well! God bless.