To cull or not to cull

[Perez Poultry]

It's always a tough choice.

When did this this defect/injury actually occur? Are you able to post a video of her getting around?

Any chance it's Marek's I would send for necropsy instead of the freezer for confirmation or elimination.

If it were ME.. and I was even considering sending this girl to freezer camp, I would DO it. Things get worse, not better with age and weight. Chickens being prey animals will do their very best to hide any weakness. It sounds like her mindset may already be a bit traumatized from her place in the pecking order with her brood mates.

Although my heart wants to dispatch bullies and protect the weak .. in flock life crud always starts at the top and rolls down hill... So I keep only good flock mates that may have disputes but get over it. Anyone who finds another to pick on every they enter the field of vision will be culled via the cone, selling to another flock where it fits in better, whatever I see fit. As the other poster stated, your boys are hormonal cockerels, yes competitively mating... the weakest most docile pullet.

So now I think this gal would be always on my mind about what I need to do to help her out... overall diminishing MY enjoyment of the entire flock. Weak birds invite predators AND parasites AND disease...

Go ahead and decide what YOU want long term for YOUR flock. Even though it still seems like a hard choice every time one needs to be made, I make it more confidently by knowing that I protect my WHOLE flock and do what's in the best interest of everyone instead of the individual. If you aren't decided now, you can always do it in the future, doesn't have to be at the same time.

Best wishes, no matter which way ya go!

 

[donddon]

Maybe a silly question, have you ruled out bumblefoot?

 

[Perez Poultry]

Maybe a silly question, have you ruled out bumblefoot?

I don't think it is, I examined her foot and it looks perfect, no mites either. She just limps and her leg bumps into the other as she walks. Maybe she needs a chicken chiropractor

 

[Folly's place]

Her pelvis is wide enough that she can lay eggs, fortunately. A vet exam with xrays would let you know what exactly her issues are, and it's not Marek's disease if it was from her hatch date. Mary

 

[EggSighted4Life]

it's not Marek's disease if it was from her hatch date.

Agreed, I hadn't seen that answered yet.. when it first presented. It sounds like it could be a varus or vulgus deformity if not a dislocation.

Video uploaded to youtube or the likes and then linked here so we can see what you're looking at. That would help a lot.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Maybe she needs a chicken chiropractor

To perform a cervical dislocation.

Sorry, I can't tell if that was your sense of humor or not but that's what I thought you meant..

We do our best to lighten the mood come harvest time. It's never fun to take a life, but I'm thankful to know they lived every day to the fullest and their one bad moment is lights out over before they could even think about what just happened. My version of humanely raised and harvested.

Will this be your first time harvesting? Will you be okay if she never roosts, maybe sleeps in a nest box and poos in there? Or have her sleep on the floor.. where does she lay her eggs and sleep right now? She's still able to keep her vent clean so eggs are still clean too? Do you happen to be keeping a layer only flock where she might not have to face mating even from more mature fellas? Understand, I'm not expecting you to answer my questions.. I'm stating them more like things to possibly ask yourself to help with your considerations is all.

 

[Perez Poultry]

Haha I appreciate humor in dealing with tough decisions ☺We'll be keeping a rooster, the smallest one. She has a nest box on the floor and her eggs have been clean Here are a couple of videos I took, sorry the angle isn't great, she's in the smaller coop and it's hard to get a good view in there.

 

[Perez Poultry]

Also I think she started limping a few weeks ago, not as a hatchling.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

We'll be keeping a rooster, the smallest one. She has a nest box on the floor and her eggs have been clean Here are a couple of videos I took,

She doesn't appear to be severely suffering to point culling immediately would be advisable. It sounds like you may be willing to accommodate her to some degree without it being an ongoing sanitary or quality of life concern.. she is still doing normal activities like eating, drinking, and hanging with her friends. I personally would not likely keep her in a breeding (mating) flock unless she was recovered and able to support her weight and an amorous boy atop her comfortably.

I would wanna assess if that was an issue that could be corrected or helped with forced rest or will self correct.. is it getting any better, any worse, or staying about the same since noticed? You examined the foot, but what about the knee or the hip?

It looks controlled to me and not quite the same as seen with many neurological conditions.. Not unbalanced at all. *Possibly* even a ligament/tendon strain or something that can't quite be seen and could cause some limping and pain but still very recoverable from??

 

[WolfGirlMagic]

I have 2 hens that became paralyzed from the neck down randomly. Vet did not suspect merecks since no one else in my flock, or that batch showed any symptoms, and oddly the only 2 to get it were barred rock siblings.(only 2 of the breed i had)
I had to tube feed one for a month, the other for 2 months.
The one i fed for 2 months is a perfectly normal layong hen now.
The one that recovered ro eat sooner has a bad, knock kneed limp, rests often, but she is the boss hen with a will to live like ive never seen. She even beats up our jersey giant rooster 2xs her size.
I say, if they have a will to live, and you are willing to accommodate, do it.
And based on thise videos, compared with my girl, i would not suspect her quality of life too deminished. And a limp may not be the result of pain, but actually the result of some physical issue.
A leg slightly shorter than the other, a small misalignment somewhere. Honestly, i would definitely wait.
Then again my hens are pets #1, and never eaten, so.... might not be the best one to give advice. Haha.