Should I Put Her Down???

[Madie'sOddFlock]

I've posted about this a bunch, but I have yet another question, and so here I am again.
Ella has a rotated tibia. She's 17 weeks old and does not walk on that leg at all. She's a house chicken due to the circumstances. My family has started pressuring me to put her down because "her quality of life is suffering". Because it's winter I don't trust her outside. I don't want her to freeze or anything, and I don't want her to get picked on too much. She's allowed to roam and seems to be pretty happy with what she's got, and I've recently found an option to improve her daily roaming, so I'm weighing my options.
You're suggestions would be great, and(for once) your opinion. Please don't hold anything back or be afraid of being rude because I need to hear it and get the whole story from as many experienced people as I can.
Thanks,
Madie.

 

[WindingRoad]

I've posted about this a bunch, but I have yet another question, and so here I am again.
Ella has a rotated tibia. She's 17 weeks old and does not walk on that leg at all. She's a house chicken due to the circumstances. My family has started pressuring me to put her down because "her quality of life is suffering". Because it's winter I don't trust her outside. I don't want her to freeze or anything, and I don't want her to get picked on too much. She's allowed to roam and seems to be pretty happy with what she's got, and I've recently found an option to improve her daily roaming, so I'm weighing my options.
You're suggestions would be great, and(for once) your opinion. Please don't hold anything back or be afraid of being rude because I need to hear it and get the whole story from as many experienced people as I can.
Thanks,
Madie.

Is she a cold hardy bird. I'm in New Portland and a Mainah. Fourth or greater generation Mainah. I know it can be cold. I had my birds out at -9F one morning. I don't like them out in the wind though. Just me probably. Is she eating and drinking? Does she seem to be in pain. As an RN I hate seeing any animal suffer. I know it's hard to put them down but you have to think of the animal and not yourself. Personally, I think it's selfish to keep them alive if they are suffering. My son had to put his 16 year old Yorkie down last month. Broke all our hearts. But he was down to 3 lbs from around 7 lbs. I wish he had done it sooner. Kidney failure. Vomiting etc. H took care of that dog from day one. Had kennel cough and he fed it with an eye dropper every 2 hours 24/7 for about 2 weeks. And he saved that dog then. And he saved it again by putting it down he saved it from a miserable existence. Sorry but that's the truth. I even asked family members to leave a dying patient so he/she could go. Some times over my 36 years as an RN I noticed that some people just wouldn't die. I think they didn't want family members to see them die.

Can you tell us more about your options. Do what's best please please don't let her suffer.

 

[christwodog]

Sorry to hear of your circumstance...I would say go with your gut feeling - if you really feel she is suffering and not enjoying life, then putting her down may be the best option, especially if there is no hope of healing/cure. But if you feel she's happy as she is and not in pain, I would let her hang around unless things went south. I am all for taking care of special needs creatures (of all types), as long as they are not suffering endlessly. What's important is that you are considering all options for her, keeping her welfare at heart. Best wishes.

 

[Madie'sOddFlock]

She doesn't ever seem to be in pain, and I'm working on getting her a big pen without a top so she can stretch her wings a bit more. She must be an Araucana cross of some sort because she's got a beard and came from a green egg. I don't put her outside because I fear her leg would freeze off(although maybe that would do her some good in this case... I don't know), and she hops so she wouldn't be able to get in and out of my coop good enough. She eats and drinks just fine and is right on track with weight and size. I'm getting into a routine of giving her baths every day because she's been having problems with the form of her feathers. I recently lost another somewhat "high maintenance" pet so now I have twice the time to devote to her. I just can't be around all the time. She seems to be doing fine with her dog kennel enclosure, which leads out onto a large tarp which is her roaming space because she has taken residence in my carpeted bedroom... So I'm working with what I've got and I'd prefer to not put her down because I feel like it would be taking away her chances.
If that makes sense, I hope I answered your(@WindingRoad) questions and maybe added a little more.

 

[HennyPenny2019]

I've posted about this a bunch, but I have yet another question, and so here I am again.
Ella has a rotated tibia. She's 17 weeks old and does not walk on that leg at all. She's a house chicken due to the circumstances. My family has started pressuring me to put her down because "her quality of life is suffering". Because it's winter I don't trust her outside. I don't want her to freeze or anything, and I don't want her to get picked on too much. She's allowed to roam and seems to be pretty happy with what she's got, and I've recently found an option to improve her daily roaming, so I'm weighing my options.
You're suggestions would be great, and(for once) your opinion. Please don't hold anything back or be afraid of being rude because I need to hear it and get the whole story from as many experienced people as I can.
Thanks,
Madie.

I’m not sure that I will be any help but here goes. Have you spoke with your Vet to see if there is anything that could be done to maybe splint the leg or something like that? My first thought was .. can the chicken have any kind of quality to her life. It could be that the chicken does enjoy her life such as it is although not being able to move about doesn’t seem like much of a life. What is your long term goal for her? I think this is going to have to be your decision on how much effort you are willing to put forth to keep this hen going. Is it going to interfere with the time you have to care for your other wards, will she become a dreaded chore or stay a beloved pet. If you are her only care giver then only you can decide these things. Good luck.

 

[Madie'sOddFlock]

@HennyPenny2019 1. I have not contacted a vet, but I've been doing the best I can from my own knowledge, here, and throughout the rest of the internet. 2. I guess I don't really have a long-term goal for her. I'd like the eggs eventually, but I don't really mind either way, and I've fallen in love with her already.

 

[WindingRoad]

@HennyPenny2019 1. I have not contacted a vet, but I've been doing the best I can from my own knowledge, here, and throughout the rest of the internet. 2. I guess I don't really have a long-term goal for her. I'd like the eggs eventually, but I don't really mind either way, and I've fallen in love with her already.

Just a note. Remember love doesn't hurt.

 

[HennyPenny2019]

She doesn't ever seem to be in pain, and I'm working on getting her a big pen without a top so she can stretch her wings a bit more. She must be an Araucana cross of some sort because she's got a beard and came from a green egg. I don't put her outside because I fear her leg would freeze off(although maybe that would do her some good in this case... I don't know), and she hops so she wouldn't be able to get in and out of my coop good enough. She eats and drinks just fine and is right on track with weight and size. I'm getting into a routine of giving her baths every day because she's been having problems with the form of her feathers. I recently lost another somewhat "high maintenance" pet so now I have twice the time to devote to her. I just can't be around all the time. She seems to be doing fine with her dog kennel enclosure, which leads out onto a large tarp which is her roaming space because she has taken residence in my carpeted bedroom... So I'm working with what I've got and I'd prefer to not put her down because I feel like it would be taking away her chances.
If that makes sense, I hope I answered your(@WindingRoad) questions and maybe added a little more.

Ok, I’m changing what I wrote. Don’t kill her because of pressure from others in your family. But also realize it sounds like her care is going to be all up to you. Good luck.

 

[townchicks]

It's hard to say just from a description, but it doesn't sound like suffering to me. If she's eating and drinking and getting about reasonably well, that's good quality of life. She doesn't know any other way to be, so she doesn't miss it. If her daily care has become a burden, that could also be a reasonable cause to let her go. It doesn't sound like she's a burden to you, however. Maybe your family members are seeing something that your heart doesn't want to admit, or maybe they just don't think a chicken can be happy with only one leg, because they don't think they would. If you really feel that she's happy, in spite of not having great mobility, then stand up to them and and tell them so.

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

Are you still living with your family? If so, there reasons for wanting to cull her might just be for their own selfish choice.... as in not having a chicken in the house anymore. Not to say that they are wrong for wanting to keep a house free of chickens, but their choice in whether the chicken lives or is to be culled is probably heavily influenced by that reason.