What do I do? Should I have culled my chick earlier?REALLY NEED ADVICE

[chickensassy]

First timer with babies and when they hatched one just had a funny walk, after 4 days i inquired on byc and heard it was splay leg. I was informed to help it with a splint but not a moment to soon so I did right away and it did better for about 2 weeks. The third week it was better but started using its wing more and sitting more. It was such a fighter and acted like it was much much better. Now it is about 6 weeks old and is not doing well. its smaller than all the others, it resorted back to its splay leg but much worse, it uses its wing and sits all the time unless it manages to get food or drink. it gets run over by all the others especially when it wants to eat. What do I do? Should I have culled it when it was younger. HELP HELP HELP!!!

 

[buckabucka]

It sounds like you at least gave this bird a chance, and that the treatment was helping some at first. I had one with a splayed leg and the bird is fine now, so no, I don't think you made a mistake by not culling when it was younger.

Now, though, it doesn't sound very good. Do you think it is suffering? I have never had to cull a bird (I've only had chickens for a year), but it sounds like that may be where this ends up. If you're not ready to do this, maybe you could at least separate it from the others and see if it will get it's strength back (without getting trampled).
Good luck!

 

[Alethea]

I think you did the right thing by giving your little one a chance. You might have to separate it now if you want to give it another.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I would separate it. I have a special chicken as well, she's blind. She would get trampled and pushed away from the food by the others, and lost quite a bit of weight. A couple of weeks in solitary did her a world of good. She put the weight back on and gained enough strength to go back to the coop with the others and has no problems keeping up or bullying her way to the food. Good luck with whatever decision you make