Show me... your special needs chick/chicken

[megshenhut]

I too have a special needs chicken. She didn't start out that way, but at about age 3 she started going blind. She is 5 now, and can't see much, but a little I think. SHe is an EE and never laid worth anything. She still gets on the top roost and when I enter the coop every morning she expects me to get her off of the roost and put her by the water and feed. She talks until I do. The others peck at her once in a while, but not really more than other chickens. She doesn't like to go outside the coop. The bright sunlight seems to bother her more. The roos tend to take advantage of her quite often because she can't see to get away.

 

[NurseNettie]

I've took a few pics of Bumbles (my blind or low vision chick-- not sure which) yesterday, along with the other chicks. Bumbles is about 5 weeks now, and we've got him out in the barn with the rest- and he's faring just fine. He ends up away from the group a lot, but they welcome him when he snuggles, and so far, nobody picks at him or mistreats him. He finds his way around, and every time I go to the barn, he runs to the water or food-- almost as if to show me "Mamma, I know where it is!"

Here, bumbles is the white one on the right, eating from the hanging feeder. No problems at all-- he's doing so well, I'm so proud of him

--edited because I don't know my right from my left

 

[fourfeathers]

Ohhhh! I just saw this posting and have to show pictures of my pride and joy, Peepers. She just turned a year old this May and I have had her since she was a few days old. She has Crooked Neck, nothing contagious, it is an orthopedic deformity of her neck. She is indoor-kept 100% of the time. She knows nothing different and could not survive outside even in the most protected environment. She lives in a 3 x 3 cage when I am not home, and is out in the house when I am. She has possession of the recliner in the family room and perches on a dogbed that she loves. She can walk, but often walks in circles and doesn't go very far. Her head is usually held in an upside down manner, but she can bring it up to groom a bit, and figures out ways to prop herself up so that her head is straighter while leaning against something. She does wear bird diapers when on the carpeting, I just spent $25.00 on swimsuits to cut up for her diapers. On the linoleum she freestyles it. Heck, what's a little clean up on tile? She likes to lay on my chest at night while I watch tv and pet her, she will lay longer than the cats even. She plays Scrabble and pecks at tiles for us to choose letters. She talks and calls for me when I am in the other room or when she wants something. She takes alot of care, but I wouldn't trade it for anything, she is such a joy. In her cage, she stays on towels that I change twice a day. A wire bottom cage would be too harsh and shavings would get in her eyes. I clean her feet during the day if she steps in a poo, we use alot of babywipes. She gets chopped up iceberg lettuce (to add fluids to her diet) and romaine lettuce 2-3 times a day, birdseed as a treat, her crumbles in a mash form, and likes cooked carrots and peas, beans, watermelon, snack crackers and pasta with no butter or sauce please. When she eats, she scoots her head on the towel to steady it and she pecks her food. I have to help her drink and do that 3 times a day with a syringe or rabbit bottle. She is friends with the dog, who is the best dog and most trusted dog. She and my handicapped cat have supervised 'play', but I would Never leave them alone together because Peepers is at a disadvantage of course. Besides her crooked neck, she has incoordination, somewhat like a child with cerebral palsy. I marvel at what a wonderful pet she is and how she has survived. And, yes, I tried Everything to help her. She got the selenium/vit E, prednisone cocktail for over a month, vit B, splinting of her neck, etc. At two weeks of age, I had to teach her to walk, one step at a time. I don't know how we did it, but am glad we made it.

 

[fourfeathers]

And, here are some more of my family. This year, I took in 10 chicks, 7 of which survived and most were able to be completely rehabilitated. I kept the two that still had some special needs and their little friend who bonded with them. One is Hoppi, my one-legged Americauna-the dark brown one, who had a severe fracture and bone infection. She lives with Hootie the big red hen who looks (in the pic) like she has only one leg, but she has two. She just usually stands with one up or one foot on top of the other. She had limber neck, but recovered after supplements were given. She seems to have some clumsiness that is a bit more than the norm, and depth perception problems. She is also a bit slow but oh so sweet. The third is Flash, a little roo with a badly hurt leg and broken toes, who has turned out to be a handsome frizzle. He has two toes that don't flex, but that is all. They, unlike Peepers the pheasant, do live outside in their own coop and protected run. None of them roost. I wonder if it is because Hoppi cannot and they want to be together? They are now 3-4 months old. They crowd together every night behind a little white plastic trashcan in the corner of their house. Odd looking because Hootie thinks she is hidden but is taller than the trashcan when standing.

 

[WillsMama93]

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Wow, what nice digs! I am sure she is happy, with a deluxe penthouse like that!! And a great mommy to care for her so well!!

 

[ZooMummzy]

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She is absolutely beautiful! You have done a great job

 

[ZooMummzy]

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Oh they are adorable too! I don't know about everyone else who has posted here, but I would take in another special needs chick in a minute. There is just something, well...special, lol about them

 

[ZooMummzy]

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Wow, what nice digs! I am sure she is happy, with a deluxe penthouse like that!! And a great mommy to care for her so well!!

Thank you! Yeah, she's pretty happy I think. The cage is just about my computer so she can look down at me and beg for attention. We've also been doing a lot of work outside so she can hear my voice and sings to me.