Special needs chickens, cope with it or what?

[janjan1]

I've a year old hen that some how ended up with a broken leg. A clean break below her knee joint. You can see it's a straight, clean break. So I cleaned the break, wrapped with a clean gauze and wrapped the whole lower leg in vet wrap to stabilize. She was then placed in a cage to allow the break to heal. Well it's had been 6 weeks, and I've rewrapped the leg each week to clean & apply a new dressing. She had been moving/hopping around the cage limping etc. Well this last couple weeks when I noticed she wasn't putting any pressure on the leg, I checked it out. It seems that she has broken that leg above the knee joint too. So no wonder she wasn't putting any pressure on the leg. So here I go again, cleaning the broken area, applying gause and vet wrapped the entire leg to stablize everything. It is pittiful to see her hobbling along, trying to scratch the bottom of her cage with her broken leg. It sort of swings in the wind, as she reallyhas no control of the leg itself. The thigh yes, the leg not really. But she limps along and takes an active view of everything going on around her. I let her out of the cage each day for a few hours to wander around in an empty stall each day. She seems to enjoy the time spent digging in the dirt with her beak. So my question, is this quality life? Cull or turn her out to make the best of what life can offer? Anyone else have a special needs chicken and how to view the quality of life?
TIA
Jan

 

[meriruka]

I have several special needs chickens. They have their own pen together. Someone observed that if you took three of my rescues and combined them, you might get one complete, normal chicken.
I have to say they all have the sweetest dispositions and I wouldn't trade them for the world.

Looks like you are doing everything you can. If the break heals then you have one happy, gimpy chicken. If not, I wouldn't let her spend the rest of her life in pain. My opinion----give her a little more time to heal.

 

[New adventure]

I agree with meriruka. You'll know when she's not improving, but give her a chance since she is trying. Good luck!

 

[NancyDz]

did you put a splint in there or just wrap it ? I think you need a splint if you didnt . It sounds like she's doing okay though but I'm not sure it will ever heal unless you immobilize it more. You might consider putting her in a sling to take and possibility of her putting weight on it away...


good luck!

Nancy

 

[mrszlopez]

im going thru almost the same thing. I dont really believe in the whole "culling" method, so i gave her time before i decided whether or not to put her to sleep. I think you should give her some time to heal.

 

[citrusdreams]

I only culled one chicken like that. Something was wrong with it's leg, it was born that way and kind of floundered around the floor of the henhouse. But it wasn't thriving and couldn't compete with everyone. It never went outside and when I put it outside it couldn't get back in. I felt it didn't have a good quality life.

I hated to do it, but I felt it was best for the chicken. I felt so bad for it. I'll never keep a chicken like that again, I get too upset over it.

 

[nnbreeder]

Sounds like she is not being able to process calcium which if she is laying can make the bones brittle. If a layer doesn't get enough calcium or can't process what she gets she will take it from her own bones to form egg shells. Please read this and then mix up some of the recipe for her, it may help her out.

Rickets

Rickets can occur in young birds due to insufficient vitamin D3, calcium and/or phosphorus.

Commercial feeds and supplements provide these nutrients, but if they are over-diluted the birds will not get enough. Birds can synthesize their own vitamin D, to a certain extent, with exposure to sunlight.

A deficiency of any of these nutrients can also lead to problems with egg-laying birds. Egg production may be reduced and/or the quality of the egg shell may be poor.

In severe cases hens may be afflicted with a disease called cage-layer fatigue (brittle-bone disease, osteoporosis). As indicated by the name, this disease is not usually found in birds raised on the floor.

Rickets (hypocalcaemic)

Introduction
Vitamin D deficiency or phosphorus/calcium imbalance is seen in chickens, turkeys and ducks worldwide.

Signs

Lameness.
Hock swelling.
Soft bones and beak. - sometimes
Birds go off legs.
Poor growth.
Birds rest squatting
Or lay on their sides unable to stand
Reduction in bodyweight.

Post-mortem lesion

Bones soft and rubbery.
Epiphyses of long bones enlarged.
Beading and fracture of ribs.
Growth plates widened and disorganised.
Beak soft.
Parathyroids enlarged.

Diagnosis

History, signs, lesions. Differentiate from Encephalomalacia, Femoral Head Necrosis.

Treatment
Over-correct ration with three times vitamin D for 2 weeks, or Vitamin D or 25-hydroxy vitamin D in drinking water.

Prevention
Supplementation of vitamin D, proper calcium and phosphorus levels and ratio, antioxidants.

Web Sites:
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/poultry/factsheet.html
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/poultry/factsheets/31.html


http://idis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_PS044
http://www.agr.gov.sk.ca/DOCS/livestock/....&thirdpick=Null
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/DiseaseInfo/Default.asp?Display=123



My Treatment is this

“” This amount feed one bird””

Feed the birds three times a day for three days a mixture of

This mixture is what you will need for the entire three feeds…. It is not 3 egg yolks and 3 teaspoons of honey etc…. divide the contents into three

½ to 1 x egg yolk….. give the whites to the other hens mixed into their seed or pellets (depends a lot on the size of the egg yolk)
1 teaspoon honey…. .given for energy
2 x tablespoons yoghurt…. Given for calcium and also to make the bowel go back into normal production after this upset
¼ teaspoon calcium powder (if you can’t get the yoghurt)
3 to 4 tablespoons rolled oats…. To give substance to the feed
Sprinkle of multi vitamin powder (only if you are not already giving it to them in their drinking water, don’t overdose)

Mix to make a crumble mixture not runny, if you have to roll into pellets and force feed, and then massage the neck to get it down, the bird may be too weak to eat or have lost the desire to eat…. Don’t hold back…. The longer it goes without this the worse it will get

If you must give it something to drink – only give drops onto the beak or use the crop tube to get fluids down the throat, don’t try and pour any fluid down a chickens throat, it will more than likely go into the air passage and into the lungs and end up drowning the bird


You can use different ingredients if you wanted to
A D & E Powder
Mixed with 1 teaspoon honey
Rolled into a few rolled oats make into pellets and force fed


Or

¼ teaspoon calcium powder (instead of yoghurt)
¼ teaspoon cod liver oil (instead of egg yolk)
1 x teaspoon honey
rolled oats
mixed with milk to make into a crumble or make into pellets to be force fed

What ever way you decided to go the reason is to give the bird a large dose of Vitamin D, C and A

After 3 days cut back to once a day for 2 weeks, you should notice the difference in 3 or 4 days

Give other food also, chick crumbles, grower crumbles or layer pellets depending on the age of the bird etc
Also have fresh water at all times for the birds to drink in easy reach, remember it is not well so it may not go looking for the food and water, so put it just about under its nose so it can’t miss it



http://www.angelfire.com/med3/poultrylovers
Rickets- Affecting young chickens; brought on by a vitamin deficiency of Vitamin D & Calcium. Symptoms include weakness and crippling. Prevention is by proper nutrition. There is no known treatment at this time.


Rickets
Rickets can occur in young birds due to insufficient vitamin D3, calcium and/or phosphorus. Commercial feeds and supplements provide these nutrients, but if they are over-diluted the birds will not get enough. Birds can synthesize their own vitamin D, to a certain extent, with exposure to sunlight.

A deficiency of any of these nutrients can also lead to problems with egg-laying birds. Egg production may be reduced and/or the quality of the egg shell may be poor. In severe cases hens may be afflicted with a disease called cage-layer fatigue (brittle-bone disease, osteoporosis). As indicated by the name, this disease is not usually found in birds raised on the floor.
References
Agriculture Canada, 1991. Raising chicken and turkey broilers in Canada. Publication 1860/E.
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, February 1989. Ascites in meat-type chickens caused by right heart failure. Agdex 451/662.
Saskatchewan Agriculture and The University of Saskatchewan, 1987. Guide to Farm Practice in Saskatchewan.
Reference: http://www.gov.sk.ca/agfood/live/poultry.htm