To euthanize or not to euthanize?

[Camelot Farms]

Last February we were gifted with 40 assorted chickens and roosters. Most of the were in great health and beautiful.

Noticed then that one of the Astrolorps was gimpy. Seemed like an arthritis kind of thing. Over the last few months her gimpiness has turned into a hobble where she comes down off the roost, picks her favorite dust bath spot and lays there til its time to clumsily get back on the roost. We even take her treats to her in the dust bath so she doesnt have to move.

Today, she wouldnt put any weight at all on the leg and is hopping. So we have digressed from slight gimpiness to nearly lame and in some degree of pain.

I can see no obvious sign of injury or infection so I am guessing that it is an old injury that is just been exacerbated.

I am leaning toward euthanizing her....any thoughts?

 

[OrpingtonManor]

Is she eating, drinking and pooping normally, despite her gimpiness? Are her eyes clear? How does her breathing sound? If she seems otherwise normal, and you are okay with her special feeding requirements, and the other birds aren't picking on her, maybe this will pass.

I had a bird that behaved like that for about a month. She very quickly went from normal to very gimpy in less than an hour one morning. I decided to watch and wait. I had to take her down from the roost in the morning, and put her back on it at night. She just sat on the ground alone while the other girls wandered the yard. The problem waxed and waned for over a month, then she got slowly better. Now, she is completely normal, and has just recently regained her spot as alpha hen.

Good luck making the right decision for your hen.

 

[giasmom]

If it were my bird & it was no longer enjoying life and was in pain with no way to relieve it I would cull. JMO Sorrry this is a choice your having to make. It is never an easy one.