My opinion is just this. If the chicken can get itself around which to me includes taking itself outside than it should be gave a chance at life. I have had a chicken that had no neck control that we put down. The only way it could keep its head up was to lay on its back. We also have a duck waddles she walks on her inner legs pretty slow but can herself in and out. So I think it depends how much she can do.

If she can get herself around, and doesn't seem to be in pain, then day by day seems to be working. If she can't get around - which may or may not include getting outside - or seems to be in pain, then it would be time to rethink.

Sorry if I sound unfeeling, but you do have all the other hens, etc., to take care of and the rest of your daily life to get through, so decide where your priorities lie, and look after them. If it is bothering you too much, and if you are agonizing over her for more than a few seconds per day, then either let your control and worrying over the situation go and let her tell you if it isn't working, or put her down now and end your moral/emotional suffering. It's a whole lot easier when you are on the outside looking in, so please take my comments as meant to help, and not to hurt you.

Aw, Sheila, that's a hard decision to make. :( I don't envy you. I'll bet to make it extra-tough, it's a very sweet chick, isn't it?

Good advice from dibbit...
If it cannot get to food and water on it's own all the time, or the condition is such that it will cause a lifetime of painful sores or galling...I'd put it down. I have several hens who have bad toes, and one who had a bad leg and then went and broke her thigh earlier in the year (she healed, and gets around fine but with a limp). They do just fine.

But I had a chick two years ago born spraddle legged, and it never did improve despite supplements and splints--and it was the sweetest, most beautiful little bird. :( I ended up having to euthanize it after many weeks. That chick never did grow or feather out, so it had other issues, too.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Velvet ~:>

Thanks Patricia, Dibbit and Velvet,
you all bring up very good points and Dibbit I take no offence at all I appreciate your input.

Velvet, you are correct, she is a sweetheart I think from being handled so much. She is pretty much fully feathered and just gorgeous which makes it all the more painful.

My biggest concern is like Velvet mentioned, her getting to water and food, last night was the first night she spent w/the rest of the flock, I will see how she did. The water and food is slightly higher than she is used to and I am uncertain to how she will do. The other thing is her just becoming dirty, all my birds are so clean but w/her living on the ground I am concerned.

Thanks again for your words of advice and thoughts on this matter.

-Sheila

Sheila, I'm sorry you are faced with such a tough decision. I'd let her be for a few days and see how she manages, but in the end you will make your decision based on what you feel is best for the chick. Give yourself a little time.

When we take on animals of any kind, we also take on the responsibility for making choices for them. If I were faced with this situation, where the bird involved has little or no hope of improvement, I would cull it. I had a chick last year that had a problem likely due to Vitamin B deficiency. It's paralysis got worse in spite of treatment. Sometimes euthenizing the bird is the kindest thing to do, even though it is hard to face.

There is no right or wrong here, the way I see it. What makes this agonizing for you is that the chick is not in pain but is relatively helpless. Do what feels right for you and the good of your birds.

(((Hugs)))
Maggie

Another thing to keep in mind is that even if it's able to flop itself to and from the food and water, if she is a hen, the rooster will be on her constantly, as from his POV she is in that submissive posture a hen takes for the rooster to breed. If it is a cockerel, the other males will fight and could very likely end up killing it. For that matter, it will always be the bottom rung on the pecking order, which is a tough position to be in even if the bird is able to escape it's tormentors.

A bird that cann't fly depends on it's legs. If it only has trouble walking, it can adjust, we've owned a few over the years like that. They roost a little lower at night, and don't range out as far from the safety of the building. We had a bird that lost several toes on one foot to frostbite and lived for years; it hopped on it's good foot and only used it's stump for balance when it was standing and roosted in a nest box.

That said, a bird that can't fly and can't walk imho doesn't have a decent quality of life. If it were me, I would euthanize her before the physical stress starts breaking her down.

Sheila, I'm so sorry! Your chicken reminds me of my little Troy that recently got killed by a raccoon. Do you remember Troy? I know I've written about her tons of times, but don't know if you ever read about her. She had trouble getting around her whole life. I had to carry food to her each day. I always kept water available, but fed her several times a day. I had her for 4 years until the coon killed her. I miss her every day.

You are the only one who really knows the right thing to do and if your little girl is in too much pain to have to keep going on. But if you'd like my opinion--I'd probably try keeping her. If she's different from the rest of the flock it won't matter as long as she's not hurting and in pain. You must really love your animals a lot too :)

LittleDog :

if she is a hen, the rooster will be on her constantly, as from his POV she is in that submissive posture a hen takes for the rooster to breed.

(What you said could be true, but just because she's lower to the ground/etc doesn't necessarily mean that the males will bother her. I had a duck (I mentioned above) and she had problems getting around. For some reason none of my boys ever bothered her at all. I think they could sense something was wrong with her and that she was different.

Thanks Maggie, littledog and Genny :)

All of your advice has been very helpful, I really appreciate it. I thought I was going to put her down this weekend but then I saw her maneuver herself over to the food to eat with such determination I decided to hold off (I just didn't have the heart). You all are right, this is a very difficult decision, I am not very hopeful but I keep wanting to give her ample opportunity to show me if she can make it with the others.

As far as the rooster thing goes, I only have one mature silkie roo who is very non aggressive, I'm not even sure if he's mating any of the pullets regularly (I've only seen him once). The other roo's are not even close to maturity yet so that shouldn't be a problem for a while.

So at this point I am more concerned about some of the standard pullets that I have in that coop stepping on her etc. When they mature they will be moved out with my standard hens in a separate coop. The silkies are amazingly gentle and sweet so if I keep her she will stay with them. I NEVER thought I'd get sucked into the silkie thing but their sweetness has won me over.

Thanks again for all of your kind words, I will keep you posted on her situation.

-Sheila