Week Old Chick with Eye Injury

[Wyorp Rock]

I'd just give her B-Complex instead. 1/4 tablet daily.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I'd just give her B-Complex instead. 1/4 tablet daily.

I just updated my earlier post. I am thinking it's a vitamin d deficiency. ND has d3. Thoughts?
Thank you for humoring me with this. Myrtle is now our project chicken.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

If you feel it's vitamin D3 deficiency, let her outside in the sun.

D3 deficiency usually results in beak and leg deformities in chicks.
In older birds (pullets/hens) D3 is needed for the uptake of Calcium, but it's a fat soluble vitamin so it can be overdone. The correct amount is generally found in their nutritionally balanced feed.

 

[Aunt Angus]

If you feel it's vitamin D3 deficiency, let her outside in the sun.

D3 deficiency usually results in beak and leg deformities in chicks.
In older birds (pullets/hens) D3 is needed for the uptake of Calcium, but it's a fat soluble vitamin so it can be overdone. The correct amount is generally found in their nutritionally balanced feed.

I'm overthinking it, aren't I?

 

[Aunt Angus]

Myrtle update:

I moved the giant EEs into a brooder in the coop. They are doing fine out there. Myrtle got sunshine therapy the past couple of days, and it seems to be helping. I started her on gamebird starter (24% protein) and have been giving her a drop or two of poultry cell 2x/day. I still have to grind her food to make it smaller. I hope to stop having to do that soon.

I weighed her today, and she's up to 80.5 grams after being just 26 when I took her to the vet 1.5 weeks ago. However, I found a few BYC posts that showed 3 week old chicks weighing at least 180 grams, so she's still about half what she should be - even after taking into account that Polish are on the smaller side. I will weigh her daily now to make sure she's gaining.

Other than her size, lack of feathering, and partial blindness, she's doing great! She's more active, and we gave her a roosting bar in her cage that she's started using. That should help her leg and grip strength. She's been on paper towels because I wanted to make sure her eye was kept as clean as possible, but since she's healed and finished with all of her antibiotics, she's ready for shavings today.

And we found an indoor rabbit hutch that has 8 sq ft of living space that we can use in the house when she gets bigger. She'll be able to wander the house most of the time. We're not dismissing the idea of finding her a friend later and giving them their own coop outside, but planning ahead = good. And if we can move her outside, the hutch will make a fantastic brooder.

Poor little Myrtle...

 

[Aunt Angus]

New question, and I would appreciate hearing others' opinions:

Can Myrtle be happy as an only child? Or should I look for a special needs bantam friend for her?

Edited to add: A coworker has a friend who has a 3 week old Polish with a deformed leg. She's taken it to a vet, but the leg isn't improving in spite of splinting. It doesn't seem to be in pain. If I DNA sex it as female, it *might* work. The gal says she will take it back if it doesn't work out or if it's a cockerel.

Thoughts? If I worked from home, it wouldn't really be an issue. But Myrtle is alone for several hours a day.

Here's the chick in question:

 

[Wyorp Rock]

That's up to you.
Personally, I think they do better with a flock or companion, but many do keep them alone house chickens too.

The newbie with the leg issue. Hard to see, but if it's not improving then likely a bone deformity. Are you prepared long term to care for her if she becomes unable to bear weight on the leg? Not saying that will happen, but it could depending on what's going on there.

 

[Aunt Angus]

That's up to you.
Personally, I think they do better with a flock or companion, but many do keep them alone house chickens too.

The newbie with the leg issue. Hard to see, but if it's not improving then likely a bone deformity. Are you prepared long term to care for her if she becomes unable to bear weight on the leg? Not saying that will happen, but it could depending on what's going on there.

If it's going to be in the house with Myrtle, I don't think it will be much of an issue. I imagine a sling chair would be needed, but we will already have to take Myrtle outside daily. Taking a stationary chicken out with her wouldn't be much trouble.

Hubby's a little worried about Myrtle getting picked on. But the gal who is rehoming it has been taking it to a vet and is going to do a DNA test on it (I can NOT have a crowing rooster in the house - lol). It hasn't been outside at all yet because of its leg. It's all alone in the house, too.

Gotta think on it a bit.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Yet another update in Myrtle's saga:

I think I will adopt the little Polish with the deformed leg. Its owner will take it back if it's male or if it doesn't integrate well with Myrtle (a dna test is being ordered). It's a week younger than Myrtle and is a frizzle. And since it hasn't been outside and around other chickens, I think I can shorten the quarantine time. I know owners can transmit diseases, though. It will be a house chicken, so I think it will work pretty well.

And Myrtle is up to 110 grams!

Here's Myrtle. You can see her bad eye in the 2nd pic. It seems to have sunken into her head. It's still in there, but she doesn't ever open it:

And here's another pic of the frizzle:

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I think they will be happy together!

Keep us posted!