Week Old Chick with Eye Injury

[Aunt Angus]

I think they will be happy together!

Keep us posted!

The other chick's owner sent me a video of it trying to walk. The foot looks swollen, possibly infected. If it were mine, it'd be in a sling, for sure, or one of those 3D printed casts. I'm not sure this little one will do well as it gets older, and might need surgery. Might even need to be put down. This looks pretty bad. What do y'all think? I can take care of a disabled chicken, but I don't want to prolong suffering if it can't be helped.

 

[kurby22]

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:
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And here's another pic of the frizzle:
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Ahhh those poor babies!! I’m so glad Myrtle is showing signs of progress and improvement—you are awesome for investing in her happiness. I would agree that a house friend would make Myrtle so happy. Especially if they grow up together and she can rely on her buddy. I adopted a partially blind in both eyes EE hen and made some modifications for her and even though she’s 3X the size, she lives with the silkies and d’Uccles and Olandsk Dwarf chickens. I bought red and white feeders and waterers as she sees them better it seems. I also got a chicken picnic table so she can find the chicken scratch easier (she can’t find it in the ground) or I let her stand in the treat bin for a few mins. Hard not to connect with treats if that’s all you are standing on She is the most sweet and gentle birds but does seem a bit lonely even with a big flock of tiny friends. She comes to my feet every morning though and asks to be held. I just adore her. She also has to be carried to bed some evenings when she forgets to go to bed before dusk. Once it’s dusk she thinks it’s fully night time and just hunkers down to sleep where she is. Lots of little things you don’t think about till you are caring for them! She has no sense of chicken space, so every once in a while she gets in the way and gets pecked. But otherwise she’s left alone and seems happy enough. I think Myrtle and the Frizz are very lucky to have you!

 

[kurby22]

The other chick's owner sent me a video of it trying to walk. The foot looks swollen, possibly infected. If it were mine, it'd be in a sling, for sure, or one of those 3D printed casts. I'm not sure this little one will do well as it gets older, and might need surgery. Might even need to be put down. This looks pretty bad. What do y'all think? I can take care of a disabled chicken, but I don't want to prolong suffering if it can't be helped.

I wonder if the vet wrap is too tight? That happened to me when I did my own taping on my quail with a slipped tendon. The foot swelled up and looked really bad, but sooo much better after I removed the vet wrap. That looks pretty thick and her legs are pretty tiny still! Might suggest re-wrapping it? A bit looser or maybe less thick? If that doesn’t resolve it then I’d consider other options…

 

[Aunt Angus]

That could be. The owner said she's taken it to the vet who felt that the joint may be infected and prescribed antibiotics. But I was thinking a 3D printed splint might help, like this one for sale by MPC.

I'd be willing to have a vet perform surgery or amputate once it is old enough.

And your EE is adorable! I love that she's outside being a "real" chicken. Gives me home that we might be able to get Myrtle out with some mellow chickens from our flock - my Silkies, maybe, or my lavender Orpington. Definitely something to strive for!

Myrtle has been doing so well that I feel very confident she'll be fine. I just don't want her to be lonely.

 

[Aunt Angus]

And I figure two disabled chickens can't be too much trouble to take care of. Might as well give another "special" chicken a chance.

 

[kurby22]

That could be. The owner said she's taken it to the vet who felt that the joint may be infected and prescribed antibiotics. But I was thinking a 3D printed splint might help, like this one for sale by MPC.

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I'd be willing to have a vet perform surgery or amputate once it is old enough.

And your EE is adorable! I love that she's outside being a "real" chicken. Gives me home that we might be able to get Myrtle out with some mellow chickens from our flock - my Silkies, maybe, or my lavender Orpington. Definitely something to strive for!

Myrtle has been doing so well that I feel very confident she'll be fine. I just don't want her to be lonely.

Oh wow, that’s cool! I’ve not seen those before! Yes one of those would be far better than vet wrap!

I bet once Myrtle finds her groove, she will gain the confidence and skills to be outside even if it’s not real far outside! Silkies (at least mine seem to be this way) are great companion chickens in my opinion Lav Orps and Lav Ameraucanas are very sweet and gentle with their ladies

Definitely keep us posted!

 

[Aunt Angus]

New chick will be joining us Wednesday morning. I'm putting them in a large guinea pig cage (8 sq ft) with a barrier down the middle so they'll be able to see each other. Just wanna make sure Myrtle's eye and the new chick's leg are not going to be injured further.

Working on finding a suitable indoor coop.

Nothing - or nearly nothing - has gone right with my adventures in chickening this year...

 

[kurby22]

New chick will be joining us Wednesday morning. I'm putting them in a large guinea pig cage (8 sq ft) with a barrier down the middle so they'll be able to see each other. Just wanna make sure Myrtle's eye and the new chick's leg are not going to be injured further.

Working on finding a suitable indoor coop.

Nothing - or nearly nothing - has gone right with my adventures in chickening this year...

I’m so sorry! I hope this is the start of better things

 

[Aunt Angus]

I’m so sorry! I hope this is the start of better things

Me, too, friend.

 

[Aunt Angus]

New problem: I don't think I'll be able to keep them. I don't know how I can house them inside since I don't have an extra room or anything. BYCers have suggested a shed or garage, but they'd be shut in and in the dark. I was planning on letting them run around the house when we're home, but they'd be alone for 4 hours a day between when I go to work and hubby gets home.

My ultimate goal is to get them their own small coop on the level with our house (our big flock is elsewhere on the property), but they'd have to stay inside for a while. I don't know how long because I'm not 100% sure of how they'll develop.

I was looking at making a temporary indoor coop out of an armoire or a rabbit hutch, but those will only afford 14 - 16 sq ft. I thought that would be ok for now, but the prevailing opinion is that would be cruel. So I think I change my mind. I think I will have to put Myrtle down. I don't think I'm able to do this after all. I thought I was helping, but I'm just making things worse.

I'll call the vet tomorrow and see if someone there can take her. If not, I think I have to have her euthanized.

Any ideas? I feel like a complete failure. Nothing is going right. Nothing.