Hi all, I've got 2 10 week old chooks with broken legs. One was dropped by a neighbors child when a chick, and the other attacked by a stray puppy that my house mate took home to call the owners. I was planning to wait till they were 20 weeks then give to a old croatian guy I know who loves chicken soup and very efficent at killing things. My question is, is it cruel to let a chook grow up with a broken leg ? They doesn't seem distressed or in pain as far as I can tell. Certainly a lot less distressed than any battery hens I've seen. Should (humanely) kill them now instead ? Cheers Damien (With apologies to vegetarians/vegans out there).
Damien, reverse the situation - imagine you are the chicken. When you do this the answer will become apparent.
Hi Damien, Actually, birds bones are very porous, put simply, made up of lots of little cells of air with lots of little cells of calcium. It makes their bones extremely light for flight, but it also makes them easy to break. However, they also heal very quickly at whatever angle they happen to rest at, so unless you put a splint on to straighten the leg within a day or 2, that's how they will heal. After this amount of time I wouldn't worry about it unless they are in pain, when they will just huddle on the ground and show no interest in eating. Jackie K
thanks for input. thanks Jackie, Bill. They are definitely are eating, although hang back a little from there fully limbed cousins. Not unusual behaviour even for healthy chooks. I guess I was thinking about a human leg which would be very distressing to live with broken. Chook legs as you say Jackie are a different thing. It doesn't seem to bother the chooks that much. And Bill, when I think from the birds pint of view I'd rather be alive than dead if I'm not in pain, so would rather have an extra 10 weeks of life and not killed just because my owner thinks that I must be distressed. The weird thing is my house-mate has a rotwiler that doesn't bother the chooks at all. Friendliest dog I've meet. When guest come around the back way unannounced they get nothing wagging tail. Mind you the Rotwiler didn't do much to defend the chooks against the puppy either. I was hoping the Rotwiler would keep away stray urban foxes that have taken my chooks in the past. Not sure if this will be the case. Hopefully rotwiler smell will keep the foxes away if nothing else. The chook friendly behaviour of the rotwiler was probably what led my house-mate to think a puppy could be safely kept in the backyard. Have rambled on enough. Cheers Damien
Hi again Damien, That's good then. They might get around a bit clumsily but if they are being chooks they must be OK. If you were planning to keep them long term might be a bit different, because being roosters, as they mature and grew to their full weight, that might then put enough pressure on the deformed limb to start causing a problem. But you are not intending for them to be around that long. If you ever have the problem again, just get 2 or 3 short pieces of flat narrow timber ( a split goose quill is ideal for little chickens ) and tape them against the leg to hold it straight. I've done it with all sorts of birds, usually road casualties, and I haven't had any bird worry about the addition. Best to keep in a cage or box so it doesn't try to sit on a perch. Just on the floor is fine. As long as the splint is not disturbed the limb should be healed by 8 - 9 days. I've had Rottweilers. A wonderful, affectionate, loyal breed. They were always very protective and gentle of anything that belonged on the property and reliable at mothering any babies, chickens, lambs, children. However, a very different matter when a cat or a fox dared saunter across the paddock. They only did it once. Your Rotty would not have defended the chickens against your friend's dog because he was allowed to be there. Smart as they are, they can't destinguish between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour of another animal or understand the consequences for those actions without some intense training. If you have visitors who may arrive and come through the gate when you are not home the Rotty will let them inside the gate, but they won't be allowed to move from that spot, either in or out til you get home. Unfortunately, an awful lot seem to die from a very aggressive ( meaning very quick in progression ) bone cancer of the pelvis. Mine were gone within 4 days of showing the first signs of a limp. Even the vets were upset. Sounds like it's all happening at your place Jackie K
I can't advise about chickens but when our ducks had broken legs we kept them penned and quiet for two to three weeks. They came out limping but now, years later, you are unable to tell which ones were injured.
Wow that is absolutly incrdeible...I never knew that.....having just trod on one of my chicks and broke its leg, I might of tried, but oh well its Yabbie food now.. One your Looking for Food. The next you are food Tezza
Yeah, a little at a time of course because you don't want to pollute their home, but a bit of fur and feather grows good gilgies. LOL Jackie K
chickens with boken legs Hi guys. I have'nt got any chooks withbroken legs but your discussion on dogs with chooks is very interesting, my golden retriever (AKA--- lover of food) wonders around the chook pen suctioning up everything except the chooks. Can any one tell me, does dog pee help to stop the invasion rabbit or Kangaroo onto your vegepatch. EG does the smell deter vermin.... does it have to be a VIRIL (ie fully working stud) dog/bitch???? are there any other tricks to stop these pests.... Anyone from W.A.Bunbury SW OZ. Were just starting we've had great veg plots in Perth but down in Bunnos it a lot different. Cheers Guys..... I love this forum PS Who in Bunbury's latitude can grow the same stuff (world wide even)