Sick Factory meat bird ended up in our vegetarian home - help!

[heidibeidi]

Oh boy, I am in over my head!
I am relatively new to chickens, I have three hens from mypetchicken who are close to a year old now. They are thriving and we adore them for their eggs and company. It's a long story, but I have acquired a very sick, factory meat bird ( we think ) who apparently fell off a truck in Chicago. We were hoping that we could bring her back to health and maybe "someday" have her live with my other chickens . . .BIG maybe. Right now she is cozy in a dog crate in our bathroom. Problem is that "Clover" can barely walk, is very unsteady on her feet, has severe breathing problems, discharge from her nose, AND diahrrea. She's in much worse shape then we had expected.

I am a hard core animal lover, and there will be no culling, so we are left trying to do everything we can to get her healthy. As a vegetarian, it feels like a special ( yet hopeless ) project for me and my kids. Guessing I'm going to have to take her to a vet to get some antibiotics for the cold symptoms. Is there a way to get antibiotics for her without actually visiting a vet? Is there any chance that she ever learn to walk well? I have heard that meat birds in factory farms have no space and therefore haven't developed the strength to carry their overfed bodies around. So sad.

Oh, and she's SO dirty, can I bathe her just as I would my other chickens? ( I've been known to blow dry them afterwards )

I'd love some advice, my kids are already invested and I don't have anywhere else to send her.

Thanks!!!!!!!!!

 

[chknmomma]

Well, I am new to chickens too. BUT, my understanding of meat chickens is that they are not ABLE to live beyond a certain period even if you want them too. I know it depends on the type of meat chicken. But even if they have been free range, their bodies are too big for their hearts to sustain. So they often end up expired on their own. IE - they live very short lives without ending up on the table. We just bought a meat bird but ours is only 3 weeks old and tiny. We won't know more about it for a while

Our chickens just scalped one of our 6 week old chicks. So I understand your feelings about your chicken. I wasn't planning on even keeping this bird and suddenly I'm now discussing with my husband that she/he might need their own comfy home. Our chicken certainly has a special place in the hearts of my kids now!!

Here is the link to our latest dilemna!!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=465959

Good luck on the undertaking.

PS< I would say a bath is fine. Why wouldn't you be able to?

 

[Rin]

I wont be able to help much other than keep them FAR away from your existing flock. Respiratory Infections are extremely contagious and can still exist on a bird no longer showing signs or symptoms. I would never ever add them to your current flock even if they got better. More even I would wash up thoroughly after handling this bird before tending to the others. It's a tough job to do but if you don't want to hurt the birds who were there first you'll have to be very careful.

EDIT: stupid auto typo correct

 

[Mykee]

Try some Terrymycin. I have never used any medicines on my poultry, but I have heard it to work well. Maybe some electrolytes would work as well. Bath her in lukewarm water, without too much shampoo, and make sure she is dry, warm, and not chilled. Give her food, but not too much, especialy don't give things like greens too much either because it would just make the diahrrea worse. Try to slowly work up her strength when she gets a little healthier, for now make sure she can get food and water easily and keep the bedding clean and dry.

Make sure she drinks! maybe try adding some sugar to the water if you can't get electrolytes quickly: I think it is 2 Tbsp to a quart of warm water.

Let me know how everything turns out.

 

[DTRM30]

Be very careful - if she is sick with a respritory illness - you can eaily transmit it to your other girls. PRactice STRICK quarantine - don't even wear the same shoes, clothing or etc. out to your current three after handling your new girl. Make sure you wash good, too. Most respritory illness are not cureable. You can get the bird to a point where the symptoms cease, but they are still carriers and the disease can flare up under stressful conditons such as sudden cold, etc.

Being a meat bird, don't expect her to live very long. Their bodies can't take the fast growth. They are genetically altered to grow big fast. Not being able to walk is normally an issue with those birds as well. They grow so fast they end up lame. Most die from heart failure within a year or two tops. SHe is probably around 8-12 weeks old I'm guessing.

I don't have experience with meat birds, but I have read a lot about their life cycl.

I would be more concerned about the respritory illness. I know you want to save her, but in all honesty, it might be better for her and your current birds if you were to cull.

If she is not a meat bird but a laying hen - she was probaly on her way to be slaughtered as well - as they are only kept for a year or two. Once thier production starts to decline - off they go.

I will say - I had a laying hen when I was a kid that we found on the side of the road - an escapee from the farm that was down the road from us. We named her Henny Penny and she lived for a few years. It's possible to to rescue them - but in your case - it sounds like it may be a losing battle.

I wish you luck in trying to help her - I'm sure she apprciates being in the hands of a kind person

 

[chknmomma]

Quote:
I was trying to convey this but didn't do a very good job. It is very kind what you are trying to do.

 

[chickengrl]

You already have good advice here. It is true that even if she gets better with antibiotics she can easliy pass this infection to your other birds. It is a horrible fact of keeping poultry and sometimes even though it is personally horrific to you to cull an animal, sometimes it can be the kinder, more humane thing to do for it and your other birds. It is a difficult situation and I am really sorry you are having to deal with it. You could possibly take the hen to a vet and see if anything can be done and if not perhaps she could be humanely euthanized. A sad end either way for an innocent creature.

 

[DTRM30]

Oh, and yes, you can bathe her -I don't see why not - but I would be sure to blow dry her and keep her in a warm draft free area until completly dry. She'll probably feel better as well as look better. Though she may not appreciate your efforts during the bath !

 

[sweeterdeeter42]

My first chickens were meat chickens, and I did not know anything about them and I got them to keep, not eat. I did not know what a horrifying experience it was going to be. They have so many problems. Once their legs start going there is almost nothing you can do, they are not built to recover. They are not bred to be healthy, happy birds with any potential of living long lives. They are only designed to grow quickly and live short lives. Their hearts will give out eventually if they dont go completely lame first. There is nothing more pathetic and saddening than watching them flop around on the ground trying to get to their food and water because they cant walk. It is pretty much a lose/lose situation for meat birds.

 

[tigtoy]

yeah i had one once and i wanted to keep it to see how it grows up to be but it died half way. lol