Topic of the Week - "Special Needs" Chickens

[Revan]

I don't find it sad. They had good long lives, and that rooster found himself top of the flock alongside Brownie when she came along. When she died of old age, he just followed behind her as it were. Couldn't separate those two once they got together, not even in death it seems.

 

[halfdead1985]

My Chicken Norma (7 weeks old now) got hurt somehow when she was younger, she can't walk on one leg I think there's something wrong with her hip. She's figured out a way to start getting around and eats and drinks. Any ideas what I could do to help her? I don't wanna give up, she's trying so hard

 

[DuckPro]

A while ago I posted a thread about dozy, and here are some pics I took right now.

I really want to help this bundle of joy, it's so hard to see that she can't walk
What can I do for her?

 

[Hybridchucks]

poor thing....

 

[chicks are life]

Would a splint work or a sling?

 

[buterflysbeauty]

I just love all these stories! It's nice to see I'm not the only crazy one.

We had 2 special babies. Bambi was our first she was a bantam cochin cross. She hatched too quickly under her mom and her andomen was still open a little did we took her inside and patched her up. Brownie Alice, her mom took her right back but Bambi was a loner. So after incubator chicks hatched we put her in with them. She bonded with Willie our other special needs baby. She helped him see and he protecyor her from his better spaz (good reason he has that name). Bambi stopped growing and feathering out. She was half the size of her sister and 1/4 size of her Orpington crate mates. She passed away on Friday and just went up to Cornell Labs today for necropsy. She was sweetest thing and I know Willie misses her.

One-eyed-Willie is a 6 week old blue orpinhton. He was born with a deformed eye. We weren't sure he would survive and I contacted Cornell University to see what I could do. They said he probably wouldn't make it. I couldn't kill him and neither could my husband. We decided to let nature take it's course and 6 weeks later he is still kicking. He pulls his head into his body and shakes his head a lot but eats, drinks and explores with his sibling. He has a wonderful mothering instinct. He protected Bambi when his siblinh Spaz (a HUGE blue orpington) would run around the crate like his butt was a fire do she wouldn't get run over. After Bambi passed Friday morning I put the the orpingtons and my 1 week old barred holland chicks in my big run so they could run. Wouldn't you know willie went right up to the hollands and started cleaning them like he did Bambi. He also will talk to turn when he finds food. I am hoping he will be ok in the main flock and that he is a she, lol.

Pictures: 1st - Willie a couple days old
2nd- Spaz, Bambi, Willie. Spaz kept pecking my daughter's finger freckle!
3rd - Brownie Alice left (mom) , Bambi center, Chip (sister) right.

 

[chicks are life]

What type of fethering does that hen have?
Is it gold laced?
Because I used to have a hen that had that covering but she wasent godlaced.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

One of my chickens hatched with bent toes. He had a really hard time standing, so I put some duct tape on his toes to straighten them. His toes straightened perfectly, and he is now 1 year old and going through his first molt! His name is Huckleberry and he lives in my rooster flock.

 

[chicks are life]

Awesome that you straightened them out.

 

[buterflysbeauty]

What type of fethering does that hen have?
Is it gold laced?
Because I used to have a hen that had that covering but she wasent godlaced.

From my limited knowledge from google it said pencil-laced. I asked about her babies gender/bred and the person said bantam cochin cross.