Tomorrow is D day.

[Dixiedoodle]

I have been 'nursing' a hen for 24days now. At first, I thought she was sick, for ten days, I gave her antibodies, force fed and watered her. Then, I force fed her for another four days because she didn't get better. Then, I decided to let Mother Nature take over... Well, she is no better /no worse. She just sits, moves a few feet when I let her out but I haven't seen or heard her eating or drinking anything. I give her fresh water and food twice a day.. IT"S been 10 days and she is still alive...We now think she has an injury-- broken/fractured neck or??? we don't know. So, today, I decided, she would have to be put down.. So, I took the cowards way out and ask my dear son in law, who is a hunter, fisher, outdoor fellow to 'take care' of her tomorrow... I will be sad, not because she has died but because I DO NOT know why she is like this.. I am thinking of doing a little post mortem on her to see if I can find an answer...It might help if it ever happens again... Any one else do this??

Thank Dixie

 

[TheDuckCrew]

maybe someone on here can tell you what might be wrong with her so then maybe you can try and treat her for whatever it is. maybe put off D day to see what answers you can get

 

[chickenzoo]

Has she been wormed? Sometimes it can be the simplest things....... other times it is just beyond repair. Chickens are simple but complex creatures. Best wishes

 

[Dixiedoodle]

I wormed them all Aug 1 and then rewormed Sept 1. and I had my vet check two different 'droppings'.--clear

In the beginning (25-26days ago) she looked normal...except she was holding her head to the left of her chest and was puffed out like she had chicks under her, I felt like she wasn't getting food or water after watching her all day.So, I placed her in the 'ER' and began forcing water and food on her and giving her antiboditics from my vet.. Her comb was a tiny bite swollen at the very bottom at the back but with in two days it looked normal. Her vent looked normal, with no blood, yolk or swelling. She is now 34weeks old and was laying but it's been almost 4 weeks since an egg.. She has had no sour smell and her crop is not impacted--according to my friend who has had chickens for a while.. She moves if I touch her. I have taken her out of her cage and let her get fresh air and sunshine every day, while I change her shavings and give her fresh water and food. She actually tired to run over to where the others were free ranging, tired to stretch her neck out but couldn't do it (two weeks ago). Yesterday, I moved her head to the right side and she flipped it back over to the left side and just sat down. I asked on this and other sites for any suggestions/ ideas of what it could be and no one seemed to have any idea.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Awww, I'm so sorry for the problem with this hen. Everyone has their own limit as to how much special care & attention they'll give a chicken. If you've reached your limit, feel you've done all you can, but still this chicken is no better, and her quality of life is poor, then you will have to let her go. She's lived longer in this condition because of your care than she would have on her own in the wild. Some predator would have killed her & not been as quick & humane as your SIL will be. You can find a place near a nice bush or tree to bury her & she can help to nourish its growth. And in that way, she will continue to live.

 

[chickenzoo]

Is it just her neck that is affected? Poor girl..... if she has a poor quality of life, then it is best to ease her suffering. I have a Light Brahma roo that one day was fine, the next day i found him face down in the mud with what looked like a broken neck. I picked him up and took him to my Q pens and layed him there. I thought he'd be dead in a min. I came back shortly to find him eating out of the feeder, although his neck looked way wrong. He is still alive, his neck is just curved like a striking snake, we call him Striker. As long as he seems happy otherwise, he runs the yard and lives out his life........ so sorry about your chickie. I hate when it is something you can't find the answer too. i lost my house chicken Sweet Pea to something like that. Developed a slightly swollen brow, developed into a wry neck then leg paralysis. Vet couldn't give me an answer and we tried all kinds of things for months. She finally died one morning in her sleep. I had wished her good night, gave her a kiss and she did her happy chickie talk to me....... then passed during the night....

 

[Dixiedoodle]

If it were just a crooked neck, she could live here for ever but I think she is starving to death--even if she is eating--it's such a tiny amount that I don't miss it from day to day and each day she loses weight..She moves around in her tiny cage very little and when she is out in the nice lush grass she doesn't peck at it and she might move a total of a foot in two hours... Her quality of life is not good and she would have to live the rest of her life separated from the other flock to prevent her from being mistreated. When this all started --I thought, I'll give her ten days, then it was twenty days and now it's almost a month and she shows no sign of change for the better.

 

[Attack Chicken]

I have a little bantam wyandotte pullet that wasn't able to stand for over 2 week and she kept her head really close to her body. After about 2 months she is still separated but with her best buddy(little OEGB pullet) she has been getting better and friskier. She walks,runs and every now and then flies.

If your little one doesn't show improvment I would give her the best way out of life. Maybe you could put a friend with her? That seemed to perk my little one up. I'm so sorry for you

I know how you feel.