Zane Made REAL Progress (New Pics Pg 99)!RIP Lorelei...

[speckledhen]

I doubt DH will want to go that route. We have no one who does poultry here that I'm aware of, even if we could afford to spend the money on a chicken. There is one vet who is good about not charging an arm and a leg, but I dont think he knows anything about chickens; I'll ask my hubby if he wants to see about an xray, but I think I know what he'll say. And he adores Zane. Dang, we've cried over too many animals this year.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

What about making him a sling to lay in? Hang it just high enough off the floor that his feet can touch the floor and he can work on putting weight on them. It would help get him some excercise with his back supported and not having to lift his whole weight.

 

[speckledhen]

Hmm, I think we have this neck stretcher thing we may be able to retrofit somehow. I'll run that by DH. Thanks, Kitty!

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Quote:
I just hope it works! We have used slings for cows so, hopefully it will work for Zane!

 

[speckledhen]

DH said he'd thought about that, so maybe we can figure out how to do it. The broody pen he's staying in has a wooden ceiling in it, so it's not hard to hang a hook in there.

 

[HenHaven]

Cyn,

Do you remember someone on the old BYC who used a sling for her chicken? Was it Ellen, aka Birdlover?

 

[ruth]

Cyn - since he has an undiagnosed injury maybe it would be best to not handle him or do any physical therapy - it may be causing more harm than good. Maybe just making sure he eats and drinks and gets some rest will show improvement. I'm worried about all the "popping" sounds you said you hear when DH does the PT on Zane. It was worth a try but at this point I think letting him rest and heal would be the rest route to take. I'll keep praying for Zane.

 

[speckledhen]

That's exactly what I told my DH today, Monique, that we were not going to do anything at all except let him rest now, period. He's been very gentle in handling him, but I think he just needs to rest.
Lynn, I think it was Ellen who had the sling. Maybe I can find the picture. Here is a thread from the other BYC with a picture of the famous sling: http://backyardchickens.yuku.com/topic/370/t/Stories-of-the-quot-SLING-quot.html

 

[dlhunicorn]

Hollands Rule used it for HOTWINGS for a very long time (that sling has made the rounds for several birds...I think Verlins wife Carole was the one who originally made it?) If I am not mistaken she is also vet tech so you might pm her and ask her opinion...

 

[speckledhen]

I didn't remember Verlin's wife being a vet tech, Diana. Where is my mind? Probably off playing hookey with my sanity, LOL.
This morning, I could have sworn I heard Zane crow-maybe just wishful thinking? We have so many roosters around here, but this was through the baby monitor in the main coop and it didnt sound like Suede's deep booming crow. When I took Zane's eggs to him, he didn't eat as much, but he did do his alarm call, something I haven't heard in two weeks. I'm hoping that's a good sign. He sort of raised up on his hocks rather than just laying flat the entire time, too. I don't want to get my hopes up, though, because he'll seem to be perkier, then he'll seem slightly worse.